ISPE Emerging Leaders Member Spotlight on Rebecca Roscher
In this blog post, Rebecca Roscher – Project Manager at Bayer AG (Supply Center Grenzach) – shares how she rose from an ISPE student member to an Emerging Leader Representative, Ex-Officio, on the 2024-2025 ISPE International Board of Directors.
The most important thing you wear is your attitude.
Jeff Moore
Starting my journey with ISPE in 2020 as a student member, I quickly became immersed in the community, attending events and connecting with incredible professionals across all areas of the pharmaceutical industry.
Before last year, I never would have believed I would be in the place that I am in today. I was working as a researcher on CAR-T cell therapy development at BioNTech and concurrently volunteered as an ISPE Emerging Leader in the D/A/CH region. Hence, while I was not busy optimizing genetic modification of T cells, cell expansion, and functionality screenings, I helped organize and lead workshops and conference elements with ISPE, such as the 2023 ISPE D/A/CH Affiliate’s Future Leaders Day.
I was intrigued by the insights on pharmaceutical engineering I received through the ISPE network and its resources. The more I learned, the more I started to perceive differences in problem solving and project execution approaches, as well as knowledge and communication gaps between scientists and engineers, especially within the field of advanced therapeutic medicinal products (ATMPs).
The following thought manifested: We need more multidisciplinary expertise if ATMPs should not only be discovered and developed but produced at scale to improve availability to patients. I felt there were opportunities to bridge the knowledge better and help drive the industry forward...and I wanted to be a part of that change.
One day, I stumbled upon the 2023 ISPE International Emerging Leader Hackathon in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This 24-hour challenge enables teams of students and recent graduates to develop a solution to a complex problem statement to grow their knowledge on trending topics in the pharmaceutical industry, such as Pharma 4.0™ in ATMP production. Thanks to an ISPE Foundation Professional Development Grant, I was able to seize the opportunity of attending the 2023 ISPE Europe Annual Conference and sign up for this event, which took place the weekend before.
In the end, my team succeeded in our endeavour and ended up winning the competition. It was an all-at-once experience: challenging, humbling and yet very empowering and fun. I was able to grow professionally while gaining valuable connections, inspiring mentors and close friendships along the way.
This successful win at the International Emerging Leader Hackathon under my belt gave me the final push I needed to really seek out my passions. I started a project management course online, got active in ISPE Communities of Practice for Project Management as well as ATMPs, and searched for job opportunities in engineering. My participation with ISPE helped connect me with interesting employers and gave me insight on different positions and opportunities. I finally felt it was time for me to put myself out there and jump in headfirst.
Today, I now hold a role as a Capital Expenditures Project Manager in process and plant engineering at Bayer. This was a jump from my primary scientific background in Molecular Medicine (M. Sc.) as I am now developing my knowledge of technology, manufacturing plants, critical utilities and construction. I am eager and excited to continue to build and polish my engineering know-how and project management skills.
Not only has my career developed substantially, but I am now more active in ISPE than ever before, however, this time on an international level. At the beginning of this year, I joined the ISPE 2024 International Emerging Leader Hackathon Planning Committee, the 2024 ISPE International Honor Awards Committee, and became the Incoming ISPE International Emerging Leaders Steering Committee Chair. Additionally, this year, I will co-lead a track at the ISPE Pharma 4.0™ and Annex 1 Conference taking place 10-11 December in Rome, Italy, and next year, if all goes as planned, I will give my first official presentation at an international conference.
In the future, I want to combine my ATMP and pharmaceutical engineering skills to help bring promising innovative therapies to patients. I wish to one day set up robust and optimized manufacturing processes and contribute to selecting, designing and building equipment and facilities necessary for cost effective production. If ATMP therapeutics do not become affordable, they will never reach their full potential to adequately benefit society.
Until then, I look forward to continuing learning every single day as there is no growth without struggle. As some say, you are your biggest limitation when it comes to success. Thus, three pieces of advice for fellow young professionals and students:
- Set personal goals and regularly track your achievements and adherence to fulfilling your dreams
- Be open to feedback and even criticism – especially from individuals that are very different to you, they provide you completely new perspectives
- But remember, never take anyone seriously who says you can't achieve something or predicts your failure before you've even begun to try
Be courageous, believe in yourself, work hard and succeed.
Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.
Malcolm Forbes
