Recently, one of our young talents at Ceva Santé Animale, where we run a strong graduate program with international assignments, had a question. During a lunch with one of the cohorts, someone asked, “You must have always known you’d end up in an executive role. Is that true?”
The truth is, I didn’t have a set plan at the start of my career. What’s driven me consistently is a passion for stepping into roles where change is needed, whether in leadership, operations or culture.
Career growth isn’t just about waiting for the right opportunity; it’s about creating it. Apply for roles that challenge you. Volunteer for difficult projects. Be open to failure and committed to learning from it. Seek out mentors, embrace feedback and lean into discomfort. That’s where real growth happens. Leadership isn’t built on titles, but on resilience and the ability to adapt.
Championing Sustainability in Everyday Processes
At Ceva Santé Animale, we believe sustainability and high-quality standards go hand-in-hand. In fact, sustainability often enhances operational robustness when approached with scientific discipline. For instance, we’ve reduced water consumption in our clean-in-place processes without compromising hygiene, and improved air handling unit efficiency to cut energy use—all while remaining fully compliant with regulations.
For us, sustainability also means supporting social and emotional health to build a better future for animals, people and the planet. Our commitment goes beyond operations. Our purpose, “To develop innovative health solutions for all animals, contributing to the future of our diverse planet,” is more than a mission. It guides every decision we make.
One initiative I’m especially proud of is France’s “Ehpanimal,” which enables elderly care home residents to keep their companion animals. As both a veterinarian and the daughter of an aging parent, I’ve seen the powerful impact this has on emotional well-being.
Regard for Regulatory Standards
Navigating global regulatory landscapes requires both technical rigor and emotional intelligence. Resilience is a must, especially when dealing with evolving or fragmented systems. One key factor is building strong, transparent relationships with regulatory authorities. It’s not just about submitting files; it’s about mutual trust. When you present a complex risk assessment, your credibility often depends on the strength of your prior interactions. Have you listened to their concerns before? Do they trust your intent?
We also try to engage constructively not just to comply, but to contribute. In regions where systems are still developing, we see ourselves as partners in strengthening the ecosystem. That means supporting training, sharing best practices and approaching dialogue with humility. Our role is to be a trusted contributor to animal health systems, ensuring safe, effective products reach veterinarians and farmers wherever they are, without delay.
Integration Strategies for Meeting Performance Expectations
Integration isn’t just about control; it’s about co-ownership. The more we share understanding, the stronger the outcomes.
We manage our external partners as an extension of our own operations from contract negotiation to execution through what we call a “virtual factory” model. Rather than siloed interactions by function, we bring cross-functional insights together into a unified team that owns the full picture. This allows us to be both proactive and responsive. Issues happen; they’re part of our world. What matters is how quickly and transparently we identify, escalate and resolve them.
Two interconnected trends are reshaping our industry: the increasing demand and the complexity of biologics manufacturing amid a profound transformation in global supply chain design.
Equally important is the relationship dimension. We spend time in our partners’ facilities, learning from their strengths and sharing ours. I’ve often found inspiration from different industries or unconventional setups. It challenges our own assumptions and questions the automatic rejection of the “not invented here” syndrome.
Shifts in Biologics Manufacturing and Global Supply Chain Design
Two interconnected trends are reshaping our industry: the increasing demand and the complexity of biologics manufacturing amid a profound transformation in global supply chain design.
On the biologics side, we’re transitioning from traditional live and inactivated vaccines to more sophisticated platforms, including mRNA and AAV. These require early, integrated collaboration between R&D, manufacturing and quality assurance to ensure scalability and compliance.
At the same time, there’s mounting pressure for speed. Disease outbreaks don’t wait. This drives demand for more agile, multi-product facilities with modular design and digital capabilities that allow real-time monitoring and fast reconfiguration.
Meanwhile, global supply chain networks are being rethought. The old model of cost-driven globalization is giving way to more regionalized, resilient and traceable networks driven by geopolitics, sustainability concerns and customer expectations.
Together, these shifts call for a new operational mindset in executing revised strategies by integrating digitalization and artificial intelligence.
Navigating Nuances in Cross-cultural Production Environments
One pivotal lesson came early in my career during a global performance harmonization project. We had a strong framework with standardized KPIs and a new dashboard, but one Latin American site resisted. Initially, I thought it was a technical issue. After visiting the site, I realized it was about identity: they feared losing the system they had built with care and effort. So we adapted. We acknowledged what worked well and gave them ownership of key components. The result? They didn’t just accept the change, but championed it.
The key was curiosity and respect. In cross-cultural settings, change doesn’t begin with a PowerPoint; it begins with listening. Understand what people value. Protect what works. Build alignment through co-creation, not top-down mandates. Technical solutions matter, but people drive execution. Each site has its own story, shaped by pride and local context. For change to last, people must feel seen, heard and empowered.
