What to look forward to at the 2025 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo

September 2025

Scott Billman, Senior Vice President, Global Engineering, Technology, and Facilities at Solventum and Immediate Past Chair of the ISPE International Board of Directors, joins the podcast to share more about the upcoming ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo. Explore the featured topics, trends, and pharmaceutical innovations, as well as opportunities for networking and career advancement that you can expect at the event.

• Guests

  

  Scott Billman
  

  Senior Vice President Global Engineering, Technology, & Facilities

  Solventum

• Transcript

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  Welcome to the ISPE podcast, Shaping the Future of Pharma,

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  where ISPE supports you on your journey,

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  fueling innovation, sharing insights, thought leadership,

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  and empowering a global community

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  to reimagine what's possible.

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  Hello, and welcome to the ISPE podcast,

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  Shaping the Future of Pharma.

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  I'm Bob Chew, your host,

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  and today we have another episode
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  where we'll be sharing the latest insights
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  and thought leadership on manufacturing,

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  technology, supply chains, and regulatory trends

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  impacting the pharmaceutical industry.

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  You will hear directly from the innovators,

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  experts, and professionals driving progress

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  and shaping the future.

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  Thank you again for joining us,

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  and now let's dive into this episode.

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  Our topic today is what you can look forward to

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  at the upcoming ISPE 
  2025 Annual Meeting and Expo.

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  To share more about this topic,

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  I would like to welcome Scott Billman,

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  Senior Vice President, Global Engineering,

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  Technology and Facilities with Solventum,

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  and immediate past chair

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  of the ISPE International Board of Directors.

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  Scott, welcome to the podcast.

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  We're glad to have you with us.

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  Thanks, Bob.

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  Thanks for having me on the podcast.

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  Glad I could participate.

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  So, how long have you been attending ISPE Annual Meetings,

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  and what keeps you coming back year after year?

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  So, I've probably been coming to Annual Meetings

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  mostly for the last 10 to 
  15 years.

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  Prior to that, I'd been an ISPE member

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  for almost 
  30 years now,

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  but spent the first half of that

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  more so at the local chapter and affiliate level,

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  very involved at that level with ISPE.

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  And then as my career advanced,

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  had an opportunity to go to an annual meeting

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  and realized just what a great global collection

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  of experts and topics it was there.

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  And so, after going to the first one,

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  couldn't wait to go to the next one.

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  And so, over the years,

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  it's just been great to continue to go back

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  and see what's going on in industry.

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  I know, it's hard for me.

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  Once I get there, it's an immediate connection

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  with this person and that person.

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  You're walking, and you can't stop talking

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  because you keep meeting people that you know

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  and catching up, and you learn so much

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  just from those little conversations.

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  Yeah, absolutely, and whether you've been to many meetings

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  like you and I have been, or you're new to ISPE,

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  you know, that overall sense of community is there.

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  We're all there for the same topics, for the same purpose.

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  And so, I do encourage newer members

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  or folks that maybe haven't gone to an annual meeting, go,

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  because it's such a great sense of community.

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  You're going to find someone to talk about a new trend,

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  a new topic, or a problem that you're having,

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  and it's a great forum to do that.

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  Everyone's there for that purpose,

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  and so it's easy to make those connections

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  and strike up those conversations.

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  And hopefully this conversation will give people

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  the justification to their boss to attend this.

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  That's right.

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  So, with that in mind,

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  what is special about this year's annual meeting?

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  Why should someone who's maybe casually involved

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  in an ISPE chapter consider going to the annual meeting?

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  As I just said, I believe that one of the benefits

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  of the annual meeting is that it brings a group of people

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  that are looking across the industry together,

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  and whether you're in a region or a segment of the industry,

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  and you're just trying to solve one problem,

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  coming to the annual meeting, again,

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  opens you up to those global experts,

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  to the people that are probably experiencing

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  the same challenges you are,

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  dealing with the same sorts of issues.

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  And so coming there is just a way to make those connections.

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  It's a way to check in on what other companies are doing,

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  how they're solving the same problems,

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  and it's a way to connect and build your network.

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  Well, that's great.

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  Let me ask you this.

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  You have special insight into this year's programming.

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  What excites you about this particularly relevant,

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  that's particularly relevant in advancing today's

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  pharma manufacturing and associated challenges?

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  Yeah, so not only am I involved

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  with the ISPE Board of Directors,

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  but I'm also part of our FOIA Awards,
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  right, the Facility of the Year Awards,
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  and seeing the trends that are coming through through FOIA.

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  And so a couple of areas.

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  One, the FOIA program has really grown

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  the past couple of years.

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  The last several years, the big gala event

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  on Sunday evening has been great to showcase

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  all the great things that are going on in industry

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  that our folks are working on.

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  And through that, we have a couple of tracks
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  that are highlighting areas that I'm starting to see
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  a common theme in those FOIA applications

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  in all the new capital, big capital projects.

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  Two major topics.

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  One, sustainability, and the other, digitalization.

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  You know, every major company has targets

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  for greenhouse gas emission reductions.

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  We're all working towards a sustainable future.

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  We're here to improve lives, right,

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  and not only through the healthcare area,

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  but also through protecting the earth.

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  And it is interesting to see the different ways

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  that companies have come up with solutions

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  to work towards that sustainability challenge.

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  So I'm really excited to see that,

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  to see what companies are doing, what they're planning,

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  and then hopefully people that attend

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  can get some good ideas seeing what others are doing

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  and think about how they can implement

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  those sustainable measures in their companies as well.

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  And then the pharma 
  4.0 and visualization.

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  Everyone wants to use the term AI, right?

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  We've been focused on digitalization

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  and pharma 
  4.0 for many years,

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  and everyone is amped up on AI, but this all connects.

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  And again, to see all of the efforts that are out there,

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  not only on new AI technologies,

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  but the advancement of the traditional technologies

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  of data acquisition, machine learning, digital twins.

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  More and more companies are providing examples

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  of their journey and how they've implemented that.

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  And that's a big part of our future

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  is going to be in that digital space.

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  And so really excited to see some of the examples

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  and topics in that area.

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  And there's also, I think, a virtual option

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  for those who cannot attend in person.

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  What's that all about?

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  There is, yeah, coming out of COVID,

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  trying to make sure that these sessions

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  are more available to people.

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  There is, if you can't get there in person, right,

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  everyone's very busy, as you had said,

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  it's hard to get away from work

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  and justify that with your manager.

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  There is a virtual option where attendees

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  will get access to a subset of the sessions.

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  We can't simulcast everything,

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  but there's some really key topics

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  that are part of that virtual option.

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  And yeah, that's a great way for folks

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  to be engaged even when you can't travel

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  and get to Charlotte.

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  So you recently completed a number of years

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  on the ISPE board,

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  and you're currently the immediate past chair.

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  Right.

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  With respect to the ISPE annual meeting,

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  what are the similarities and differences

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  you've experienced over the years?

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  Obviously that virtual option that you just mentioned

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  is one of the differences that has been well received here

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  over the past couple of years.

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  But over the last 10 to 
  15 years,

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  you know, I started to think back 10, 
  15 years ago

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  when I first started attending,

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  I feel like we have a broader range of topics.

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  I think we've advanced our membership

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  and our volunteer base,

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  our guidance documents to go beyond

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  that core process equipment, facilities,

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  capital project management, right?

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  These are still core things.

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  We still have tracks on those and topics on those.

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  But you think over the past couple of years,

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  what have we added?

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  We've added topics in the regulatory space.

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  We've gotten much more engagement with regulators

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  on panel discussions and talking about the trends

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  and the harmonization efforts that they're looking to do,

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  quality control topics.

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  So I think we're really getting a larger view

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  of the end-to-end, everything that's required

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  in a supply chain organization

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  to deliver therapies to the end patient.

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  And with that, I also continue to see more focus

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  on the end patient,

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  whether it's the FOIA award winners getting up there

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  and telling a patient's story

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  and why their project mattered,

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  or at some of our keynotes, right?

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  Bringing in patients, talking about their journey

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  and some of the therapies that folks in the room

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  are working on and delivering.

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  And so moving forward, we're definitely gonna see

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  more and more of a focus on that end patient

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  because that, at the end of the day,

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  is why we all do what we do, right?

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  Is to improve healthcare and provide positive outcomes

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  for patients in need.

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  I know, listening to those patient stories

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  and then you think about the challenges

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  starting up a plant to bring such a new therapy

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  and you say, you know, we can overcome these challenges.

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  We need to overcome those challenges.

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  Yeah, and it's a great motivation, isn't it?

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  It is, it is.

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  So let's shift gears for a second

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  and talk about maybe the benefits from attending.

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  I'll go through a few topics.

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  Technical content, anything you wanna highlight this year

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  or general statement?

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  Yeah, I think a foundation of ISPE

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  is that technical excellence, right?

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  That technical content through best practice guides,

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  through all of our guides and documents

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  and the speakers we bring.

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  We have a high level of technical talent

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  that's dedicated to ISPE

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  and that's shown in all of the sessions we have.

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  And so, you know, I think the technical content

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  is always going to be there.

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  We have some new documents and guidance

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  that was issued this year in the GAMP space,

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  in sustainability and those technical experts

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  are gonna be at this conference for folks to engage with.

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  So I think that's always been a core of the annual meeting.

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  You're gonna get a lot of good technical content

  238
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  and the SMEs there that developed that content.

  239
  00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:50,000
  You know, for me, hearing a real life case study

  240
  00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:55,000
  and then when you come upon a situation

  241
  00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:58,000
  with a different company and they're a little skeptical

  242
  00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,000
  that, well, can we really do this?

  243
  00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,000
  And you can say, hey, let me connect you

  244
  00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:07,000
  with the people who actually did this at some other place.

  245
  00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,000
  It's pretty impactful.

  246
  00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:13,000
  Yeah, you know, I'm an engineer my whole career.

  247
  00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:14,000
  I love the case.

  248
  00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,000
  The real world case studies are great, right?

  249
  00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:18,000
  It makes it tangible for everyone.

  250
  00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:20,000
  You know, how did someone take something

  251
  00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:23,000
  that was in a best practice guide

  252
  00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:26,000
  and actually implement it and show that?

  253
  00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:29,000
  I think that is very powerful for folks.

  254
  00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:35,000
  Now, what about somebody who's earlier in their career

  255
  00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:39,000
  and is trying to make connections to advance their career?

  256
  00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:44,000
  Is there gonna be a career fair or anything like that

  257
  00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:46,000
  at this annual meeting?

  258
  00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:48,000
  Not a dedicated career fair,

  259
  00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:51,000
  but there are areas for folks to connect.

  260
  00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,000
  In the Exhibitor Hall,

  261
  00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,000
  there's different opportunities there

  262
  00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,000
  for that networking.

  263
  00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:59,000
  We try to make sure that all of our meetings,

  264
  00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,000
  we create that space because networking

  265
  00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:05,000
  is a huge part of what we do, right?

  266
  00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,000
  Making those connections to folks

  267
  00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:11,000
  and being able to build your own network.

  268
  00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:12,000
  And so within the Exhibitor Hall,

  269
  00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:15,000
  there'll be various areas and opportunities

  270
  00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:19,000
  for folks to make connections.

  271
  00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,000
  And, you know, I just encourage the folks

  272
  00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:23,000
  that are maybe newer in their career

  273
  00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:26,000
  to just walk up and ask someone a question, right?

  274
  00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:30,000
  And I often get people coming to me, right?

  275
  00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:32,000
  I walk around with a special little gold badge

  276
  00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:34,000
  that says I'm on the board, right?

  277
  00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:35,000
  And I do have one of those as well

  278
  00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:39,000
  for being a past board member and chair.

  279
  00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,000
  So, you know, folks come up and they'll ask you questions

  280
  00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:43,000
  because you're wearing that ISP tag.

  281
  00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:46,000
  And that's why we wear it, right?

  282
  00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:49,000
  We want people to come up to us and ask us questions

  283
  00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:51,000
  and we can help make those connections for them.

  284
  00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:58,000
  Yeah, I think I found a mentor,

  285
  00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,000
  or actually I found someone who wanted to be a mentor.

  286
  00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,000
  And for the next several years,

  287
  00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:08,000
  I would do a face-to-face with that person,

  288
  00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:11,000
  a mentoring encounter, so to speak,

  289
  00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,000
  at the ISPE annual meeting.

  290
  00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:18,000
  So there's so many ways that you can use this event

  291
  00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:23,000
  to help yourself professionally and personally.

  292
  00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:24,000
  Yeah, that's great.

  293
  00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:27,000
  Now, what about solutions to problems?

  294
  00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:30,000
  Can you think of some special problems

  295
  00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:35,000
  you've had over the years that maybe at the annual meeting

  296
  00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:37,000
  you got a clue on how to solve?

  297
  00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,000
  Yeah, there's a couple of topics.

  298
  00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:45,000
  You know, one several years ago was a good presentation

  299
  00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:50,000
  on how to create a multi-use type facility, right?

  300
  00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:53,000
  I think coming out of the large expansion

  301
  00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,000
  of folks building ATMP facilities

  302
  00:14:56,000 --> 00:15:00,000
  and then trying to figure out how can you use that

  303
  00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,000
  in conjunction with another space, right?

  304
  00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:05,000
  Because these spaces are very expensive to build.

  305
  00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,000
  There's a great presentation, again,

  306
  00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,000
  and a deep technical expert up there on stage

  307
  00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:15,000
  talking about the analysis and how they can help companies

  308
  00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:19,000
  justify multi-use facilities to regulatory authorities.

  309
  00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:21,000
  And so that was great.

  310
  00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:24,000
  And we actually took that back to my company

  311
  00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:26,000
  and used that methodology.

  312
  00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,000
  And that company that was presenting helped us with that.

  313
  00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,000
  And it was great.

  314
  00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,000
  It was something that we had been talking about internally.

  315
  00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:35,000
  I went to an ISP meeting,

  316
  00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:38,000
  found that someone else was already talking

  317
  00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:39,000
  about the same topic

  318
  00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,000
  because they were having the same challenge,

  319
  00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,000
  and then I could directly bring it back

  320
  00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,000
  and use it at my company.

  321
  00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:49,000
  Yeah, and new technologies.

  322
  00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:53,000
  I remember recently hearing about a new way

  323
  00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:58,000
  to assess VHP sterilization efficacy much faster.

  324
  00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:01,000
  So when you're doing cycle development,

  325
  00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:04,000
  it really helps you get that done.

  326
  00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,000
  And those are just examples of,

  327
  00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,000
  I think, solutions to problems.

  328
  00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,000
  They may not be industry standard today,

  329
  00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:15,000
  but they may be industry standard tomorrow.

  330
  00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:16,000
  Right, yeah.

  331
  00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:21,000
  Anything you want to say about professional

  332
  00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:22,000
  and personal relationships?

  333
  00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,000
  I mean, we've talked about relationships.

  334
  00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:27,000
  We've talked about networking.

  335
  00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:33,000
  But I know for me, it's super energizing.

  336
  00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:38,000
  Up and down the spectrum of people,

  337
  00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:41,000
  service providers, etc.

  338
  00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:44,000
  The people you connect to and what you get from that.

  339
  00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,000
  Yeah, like your previous example, right?

  340
  00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:48,000
  You met someone in a meeting

  341
  00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,000
  and developed a mentoring relationship

  342
  00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,000
  and that's what I've found by going to these meetings

  343
  00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:59,000
  year after year, you start to see the same people,

  344
  00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,000
  maybe attending the same topics you are.

  345
  00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,000
  You start having those conversations

  346
  00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,000
  and then every year at annual meeting,

  347
  00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:08,000
  you're having that conversation.

  348
  00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,000
  But for me, especially being on the board of directors,

  349
  00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,000
  and I know a lot of our active, engaged volunteers

  350
  00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:16,000
  that are on COPs and guidance documents

  351
  00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:19,000
  and other committees,

  352
  00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:23,000
  you start to build real personal relationships as well

  353
  00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:26,000
  that go beyond just work topics.

  354
  00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:29,000
  And so that's been great to have that.

  355
  00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:32,000
  The personal relationships,

  356
  00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:33,000
  friendships that you're going to have

  357
  00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,000
  well beyond going to ISV meetings,

  358
  00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:39,000
  as well as getting really comfortable

  359
  00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,000
  with subject matter experts

  360
  00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:44,000
  that you can just send them a text or an email

  361
  00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:45,000
  and ask them a question, right?

  362
  00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:46,000
  You don't have to wait to be to a meeting.

  363
  00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:50,000
  You don't have to have a formal connection, right?

  364
  00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,000
  You've built that personal connection with them,

  365
  00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:54,000
  but you feel comfortable just picking up the phone

  366
  00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,000
  and call them at any time and asking them their opinion.

  367
  00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:02,000
  And that's perhaps one argument for the in-person version

  368
  00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:03,000
  versus the virtual version.

  369
  00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,000
  Sure.

  370
  00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:07,000
  And then of course, there's all the social events.

  371
  00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:12,000
  In the evenings, there's all the parties

  372
  00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:13,000
  that various vendors throw

  373
  00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:16,000
  and they're pretty big deals these days.

  374
  00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:21,000
  There's the 
  5K charity run.

  375
  00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:22,000
  Right.

  376
  00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:23,000
  What else is there?

  377
  00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:25,000
  Yeah, I mean, there's dedicated sessions

  378
  00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:27,000
  for women in pharma.

  379
  00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:29,000
  There's a special reception for them.

  380
  00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:32,000
  We have the hackathon with our students

  381
  00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:34,000
  and our emerging leaders

  382
  00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:35,000
  that always happens over the weekend.

  383
  00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:38,000
  And then we typically have an event with them

  384
  00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:41,000
  to engage with those emerging leaders.

  385
  00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:46,000
  We have the travel grant program through the foundation

  386
  00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,000
  where we're bringing students

  387
  00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:50,000
  and we create forums for professionals

  388
  00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:52,000
  to engage with these students

  389
  00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:54,000
  and start to build their network.

  390
  00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,000
  All these things are on top of the sessions

  391
  00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:03,000
  and the networking hall,

  392
  00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:07,000
  all geared towards building those connections,

  393
  00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:08,000
  building your network,

  394
  00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:10,000
  getting together with people

  395
  00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:14,000
  that have the same objectives that you do.

  396
  00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:16,000
  Yeah, and back to your earlier point,

  397
  00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,000
  this is some of the things

  398
  00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,000
  that have really expanded over the last 10 to 
  15 years.

  399
  00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:24,000
  There are so many different things

  400
  00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:26,000
  starting on Sunday afternoon,

  401
  00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:28,000
  going all the way through the week,

  402
  00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:30,000
  like you said, on the evenings,

  403
  00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,000
  right after the sessions end.

  404
  00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,000
  There's so much going on to connect people.

  405
  00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:36,000
  It's pretty amazing.

  406
  00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,000
  So annual meeting aside,

  407
  00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:43,000
  what do you feel are the major needs of our industry?

  408
  00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:46,000
  And how does ISPE plan to meet those needs

  409
  00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:47,000
  now and in the future?

  410
  00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,000
  I believe with our digital journey,

  411
  00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:55,000
  we're going to continue to need to focus

  412
  00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:57,000
  on our workforce of the future,

  413
  00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:00,000
  which is why the Emerging Leaders Program,

  414
  00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,000
  all of the student engagement activities we do

  415
  00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,000
  are so important.

  416
  00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,000
  We have to get folks early on in their career

  417
  00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:11,000
  to realize what a great segment or industry

  418
  00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:12,000
  this is to be in, right?

  419
  00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:16,000
  To our earlier point, health care,

  420
  00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:17,000
  serving the patient,

  421
  00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:20,000
  it's such a great motivator.

  422
  00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:21,000
  When I first graduated college,

  423
  00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,000
  I didn't know much about the pharmaceutical industry.

  424
  00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,000
  It wasn't until I got into ISPE

  425
  00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:31,000
  that I truly saw the power of what we can do.

  426
  00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:33,000
  And so I think we need to focus on those

  427
  00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,000
  students, those emerging leaders,

  428
  00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:41,000
  get folks early on in their career,

  429
  00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:44,000
  get them to realize, hey, health care is an area

  430
  00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:46,000
  that I want to be dedicated to.

  431
  00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,000
  So we have to keep feeding that pipeline of new folks

  432
  00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:53,000
  as this industry is going to continue to grow, right?

  433
  00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,000
  We have new therapies.

  434
  00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:56,000
  We have an aging population.

  435
  00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,000
  We have a growing population.

  436
  00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,000
  We need folks in this industry

  437
  00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,000
  and we have to keep feeding that pipeline

  438
  00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:06,000
  through all of our initiatives, all of our trainings,

  439
  00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,000
  right, getting people up that learning curve faster

  440
  00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:12,000
  to be able to contribute.

  441
  00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:15,000
  And then all moving together on this digital journey

  442
  00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:18,000
  as we continue to implement, you know,

  443
  00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:21,000
  more and more digitalization across our factories.

  444
  00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:27,000
  So if you were to summarize how ISPE's mission

  445
  00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:29,000
  and the needs of our membership

  446
  00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:31,000
  focus and align at the annual meeting,

  447
  00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:34,000
  what would you say to a person thinking about attending?

  448
  00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,000
  Yeah, I think it's an opportunity to step back

  449
  00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:40,000
  and look at the bigger picture of the industry.

  450
  00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:44,000
  You know, our mission of sharing pharmaceutical knowledge,

  451
  00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,000
  you know, building the networks and the connection

  452
  00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:50,000
  helps us all advance together in this journey.

  453
  00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,000
  You know, it's very motivating to see

  454
  00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,000
  how we can all drive positive change

  455
  00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:59,000
  to improve patients' lives.

  456
  00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:01,000
  And I think coming to the annual meeting

  457
  00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:04,000
  opens your eyes to maybe things you or your company

  458
  00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:07,000
  haven't thought of or haven't been focused on

  459
  00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:10,000
  and will, you know, make you think,

  460
  00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:11,000
  wow, you know, maybe my company

  461
  00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:14,000
  should be doing more in that space.

  462
  00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:16,000
  And that's just part of, like I said,

  463
  00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:19,000
  being there in person, engaging in those conversations

  464
  00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:21,000
  and seeing these different topics

  465
  00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,000
  to be able to maybe challenge yourself

  466
  00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:26,000
  and go back and challenge your own company.

  467
  00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:27,000
  Hey, I think we could do more.

  468
  00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:29,000
  I see people out there doing it.

  469
  00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,000
  Shouldn't we be doing it as well?

  470
  00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:36,000
  You know, when you look at the rapid advancement of science,

  471
  00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:41,000
  which is yielding new therapies all the time,

  472
  00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:44,000
  you look at the supply chain and the cost pressures,

  473
  00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:49,000
  there's probably never been a more pivotal time

  474
  00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:52,000
  to connect, learn, and lead.

  475
  00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,000
  And to summarize this discussion,

  476
  00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,000
  let me just point out a couple of things.

  477
  00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,000
  You talked about the focus on digitalization.

  478
  00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,000
  You focused on the focus on sustainability

  479
  00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,000
  that we will see at this annual meeting.

  480
  00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:11,000
  We talked back and forth about the networking,

  481
  00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:15,000
  the social events, the technical content.

  482
  00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:20,000
  There's just a whole package that is basically screaming

  483
  00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:22,000
  for people to come, excuse me,

  484
  00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:27,000
  and contribute and benefit from being there.

  485
  00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,000
  Yeah, and what I've found is

  486
  00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:31,000
  you actually can't get through it all.

  487
  00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:35,000
  You know, you get there with these great intentions

  488
  00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:36,000
  that I'm going to go to all these sessions

  489
  00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:38,000
  and then you get caught up talking to people

  490
  00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:40,000
  and you realize, well, I have to go back next year

  491
  00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:43,000
  because I didn't get to talk to these three people

  492
  00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:46,000
  or get to that session that I wanted to get to.

  493
  00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,000
  You know, as an attendee, another benefit is

  494
  00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:52,000
  several weeks after the conference ends,

  495
  00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,000
  they make the technical content and presentations

  496
  00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:59,000
  available to the attendees so that you can go in

  497
  00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:02,000
  and download and have that as a reference

  498
  00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:03,000
  to take back to your company.

  499
  00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:05,000
  So that's another benefit.

  500
  00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:07,000
  And I find myself having to do that

  501
  00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:10,000
  because I really wanted to get to that technical session,

  502
  00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:13,000
  but I got caught up talking to someone about a hot topic

  503
  00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:16,000
  and I just didn't want to leave the conversation.

  504
  00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:19,000
  And so you end up downloading the presentation

  505
  00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,000
  and then maybe even sending that person an email.

  506
  00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:22,000
  Hey, I had to download your presentation,

  507
  00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,000
  I had some questions.

  508
  00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:26,000
  And it just, you know, it continues

  509
  00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,000
  after you leave the meeting, right?

  510
  00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:32,000
  It's there, it's available, the people are available to you.

  511
  00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:33,000
  There's never enough time.

  512
  00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:34,000
  Right, never enough time.

  513
  00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:35,000
  Never enough time.

  514
  00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,000
  I'm waiting for the day that the annual meeting

  515
  00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:40,000
  is a full week, right?

  516
  00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:41,000
  Is take it the full week.

  517
  00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:44,000
  We are getting so large, we have so much to talk about,

  518
  00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:46,000
  we have so many topics.

  519
  00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:47,000
  You know, what can we do?

  520
  00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:50,000
  How can we all maybe just take another day or two

  521
  00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:52,000
  and invest a full week of our time together?

  522
  00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:54,000
  That is a great vision I have.

  523
  00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,000
  Well, that brings us to the end of another episode

  524
  00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,000
  of the ISPE podcast, Shaping the Future of Pharma.

  525
  00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:06,000
  A really big thank you to our guest, Scott Billman,

  526
  00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:09,000
  for sharing more about what we can look forward to

  527
  00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:13,000
  at the 
  2025 ISPE Annual Meeting and Expo

  528
  00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:16,000
  on October 
  26th through the 
  29th

  529
  00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:18,000
  in Charlotte, North Carolina.

  530
  00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,000
  Please be sure to subscribe

  531
  00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:23,000
  so you don't miss future conversations

  532
  00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:26,000
  with the innovators, experts, and change makers

  533
  00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:29,000
  driving our industry forward.

  534
  00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:33,000
  On behalf of all of us at ISPE, thank you for listening.

  535
  00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:35,000
  And we'll see you next time

  536
  00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:39,000
  as we continue to explore the ideas, trends, and people

  537
  00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,000
  shaping the future of pharma.