Vivien Santillan is the Regional Director for Asia and a Program Consultant at Novatek International, a Canadian life-science IT firm providing regulatory compliant software solutions to the pharmaceutical, biotech, and healthcare industries. With over 25 years of experience in information technology and services, she has played a pivotal role in the pharmaceutical sector for the past 17 years, assisting companies in achieving regulatory compliance through technical assistance, gap analysis, and training. Vivien's notable leadership roles include serving as President of the ISPE Philippines Affiliate (2017-2020) and Chair of the ISPE Asia Pacific Council (2019-2020). She is also a Director on the ISPE International Board of Directors (2024-2026) and holds key positions in various ISPE committees, such as Chair of the Women in Pharma® International Steering Committee and Co-Chair of the GAMP South-Asia Steering Committee. Additionally, she actively participates in several ISPE Community of Practice (COP) including the Drug Shortages Initiative Team and QC/Analytical. An accomplished resource and trainer, Vivien has addressed numerous topics for the industry and regulators including computer system validation, data integrity, digitalization and contamination control strategy. She holds a degree in Computer Applications from De La Salle University and is certified in Total Quality Management (TQM). As an active ISPE member, Vivien envisions expanding ISPE's reach, providing equitable access to relevant training and education, and strengthening its role as a valuable partner to affiliates and chapters in overcoming industry challenges.
An ISPE campaign in 2016 piqued my interest in the Women in Pharma committee because I’m an advocate for women in the workplace. When I became President of the ISPE Philippines Affiliate in 2017, I knew that Women in Pharma...
For the past few months, ISPE Asia Pacific Affiliates and Chapters have been busy reconnecting with colleagues through in-person conferences. Collaboration, innovation, and technology are common themes; events also incorporate quality culture and excellence.
The ISPE Drug Shortages Initiative Team conducted a webinar on 9 February 2023 to discuss regulatory and industry insights on drug shortage prevention with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. The webinar was moderated by Vivien Santillan, Regional Director, Asia, Novatek International. Regulatory speakers were Lisa Hedman, Group Lead for the Division of Supply and Access to Medicines of the...
The inclusive nature of ISPE promotes diversity in thought, providing pharma professionals of all levels, geographic, and cultural backgrounds the opportunity to share their knowledge and collaborate across borders. ISPE’s...
Every year, the world rallies together on March 8th in support of International Women’s Day. This year, the movement is diving into the importance of creating a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. Below, two members of ISPE’s Women in Pharma Steering Committee share their perspective on biases, and how they navigated these experiences throughout their careers:
Innovation is generally associated with driving business outcomes and processes, adapting to technology, and developing creative management approaches. In the pharmaceutical industry, innovation takes on a more extensive and specific meaning. It is acknowledged to be continuous as it involves dynamic thinking on how to integrate technology into drug development, manufacturing processes, and...