Instead, he landed a job as a consultant working in the heavy metals and aluminum industry, then when the industry took a downturn, he began working on a project at Bristol Myers Squibb. “They were doing energy studies and sustainability-type work before it was even considered sustainability. I got the opportunity to work on all kinds of projects—installing processing equipment and building processing rooms. During that time, I joined ISPE, took the ISPE HVAC [Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning] class, and used ISPE guidance documents to learn more about the pharmaceutical industry.”
Allen served as a consultant for Bristol Myers Squibb for several years and then the company offered him the opportunity to work solely for them. “I was able to be involved with several blockbuster projects. One of the most interesting was a project where the product was just out of the lab. I worked with process engineers to bring in new process equipment for a potent compound, and I had the opportunity to work with them to set up the tablet processing and then the full-scale manufacturing facility. We gutted the building and built a whole new manufacturing facility in that structure, and I was able to work on that from conception all the way through qualification. We worked on the project for three years before the product hit the market. I was able to wear many hats and managed the project from buying the equipment to overseeing the design and managing all the construction and validation work and obtaining approval from FDA.”
Now as Senior Vice President/Senior Project Manager at Salas O’Brien, Allen works on capital projects and manages the design and execution of multidiscipline capital projects. Thanks to his broad experience in pharmaceutical processing equipment design, installation, and qualification, Allen can advise a wide variety of clients on how to best bring their projects to fruition. His expertise and innovation in tackling complex challenges are instrumental in helping his clients reach their efficiency and sustainability goals. “I feel like it is my nature to be a problem-solver, to learn and then to share what I learn.”
In addition to being chair of the Sustainable Facilities, HVAC & Controlled Environments CoP Steering Committee, Allen is a member of the team working on revision of the ISPE Good Practice Guide: Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and has served as a board member for the Great Lakes Chapter. “Early in my career, I used ISPE to absorb knowledge about the industry through Baseline Guides, the HVAC class, and other utilities guidance documents. It helped me to learn common practices and best design good practices. I still follow Engage to see what questions people are asking and to see responses from experts in the field. I am honored to be able to share the knowledge I’ve learned with others and think it is fundamental to continue learning.”
