In the Harvesting Session the World Café moderators will summarize the results of their discussions and present key findings.
Global Head Maintenance & Asset Reliability, Sandoz Farmaceutica S.a.
Frederico Giunchetti graduated in Electrical Engineering, post-graduated and Master of Science in Automation and Industrial Electrical Systems. He started his career in Unilever, holding various roles in the areas of Projects, Maintenance, TPM and Manufacturing for 10 years. After moving to Novartis / Sandoz, he has been taking on responsibilities in a number of different Engineering positions in Latin America and Europe for the last 20 years. Currently, he’s appointed as Head Maintenance & Asset Reliability in Sandoz, responsible for Assets Maintenance in 18 sites in the network and the overall business process ownership for Maintenance and Calibration.
The Pop in my job: I`m fascinated by continuous improvement and I see Maintenance as a PDCA cycle, as a continuous process to be improved every single day, not at all as a routine job. My motivation comes from making people also understand this mindset, and truly live as they want to make it better in every moment, so that we as individuals and our Company can be better today than we were yesterday. And in Sandoz, I have the opportunity to pursue this vision.
Global Head Maintenance & Asset Reliability, Sandoz Farmaceutica S.a.
Frederico Giunchetti graduated in Electrical Engineering, post-graduated and Master of Science in Automation and Industrial Electrical Systems. He started his career in Unilever, holding various roles in the areas of Projects, Maintenance, TPM and Manufacturing for 10 years. After moving to Novartis / Sandoz, he has been taking on responsibilities in a number of different Engineering positions in Latin America and Europe for the last 20 years. Currently, he’s appointed as Head Maintenance & Asset Reliability in Sandoz, responsible for Assets Maintenance in 18 sites in the network and the overall business process ownership for Maintenance and Calibration.
The Pop in my job: I`m fascinated by continuous improvement and I see Maintenance as a PDCA cycle, as a continuous process to be improved every single day, not at all as a routine job. My motivation comes from making people also understand this mindset, and truly live as they want to make it better in every moment, so that we as individuals and our Company can be better today than we were yesterday. And in Sandoz, I have the opportunity to pursue this vision.
IT Corporate Demand Manager - Manufacturing Area & IT Plant Manager, Alfasigma S.p.A.
I am an IT Manager with experience in the following industries: Pharma, Government, Banking and TelCo. I have a strong propensity for technological innovation, and its use inside companies to proactively contribute to processes improvement along the entire value chain.
Something about me from the professional point of view.
- Passionate of technology - My first pc, TI99/4A, when I was 11
- A strong advocate of adopting detailed work plans as enabler to get any goal
- Equipped with practical sense
- Being able to listen and valorize my team contribution
My history.
I graduated in Mathematics at the University of Rome, Tor Vergata. After a collaboration with the university, I worked in Mediamed Interactive, developing digital training solutions for the sales force of Pharma industry. After this experience, I joined Accenture and Avanade where I was involved in big projects/programs for the largest national and multinational companies.
After the consulting experience, I moved to Biomedica Foscama Group where, for more than five years, I was the head of IT department. Then, I moved to Alfasigma to lead IT activities for the Manufacturing area. Currently I’m in charge of IT development for the Manufacturing area covering all Alfasigma plants, with a particular focus on Industry 4.0. I’m also the CTO for the Pescara plant.
Head of GHO Engineering, Merck KGaA
With over 15 years of specialized experience in pharmaceutical and biotech engineering, Oliver Kaerst is a distinguished leader in the field. As Head of Global Healthcare Operations (GHO) Engineering, he oversees engineering and capital expenditure initiatives across 20 manufacturing sites worldwide, driving excellence in pharmaceutical manufacturing and packaging.
Oliver has a proven track record in leading global pharma engineering and packaging reliability programs, including the successful integration of IoT and Industry 4.0 technologies. He also contributes as a key advisor on the Pharma Maintenance USA advisory board, where he offers expert guidance and highlights emerging trends in global maintenance practices.
His extensive background in strategic project management, regulatory compliance, and operational improvement underscores his leadership and deep expertise in optimizing complex global operations.
Head of Automation (Associate Director), Takeda
Electrical Engineer with an MBA in Project Management and over 10 years of experience in maintenance engineering and industrial automation, leading teams and managing automation, electrical and instrumentation, utilities as effluent treatment, water systems, recovery and biomass boiler and HVACs systems in pharmaceuticals and pulp & paper sector. My career in multinational companies has given me a broad and strategic and holistic view of engineering, enabling me to develop innovative solutions to enhance operational efficiency and asset reliability in compliance with stringent regulatory standards.
Global Maintenance Process Manager, Servier
With over 20 years of experience in industrial process improvement, Christophe Rondeau has developed expertise in managing key phases of continuous improvement, with a strong focus on optimizing production flows, ensuring optimal safety conditions, and structuring efficient maintenance departments. His work is centered around driving operational excellence through practical solutions that enhance safety, streamline processes, and support long-term productivity.
Corporate Engineering & Maintenance Director, Servier
With over 17 years of experience, Mohamed Kassem is a skilled engineering and product management professional specializing in project leadership, maintenance optimization, and new product introduction in the pharmaceutical and industrial sectors. As Engineering Director and New Product Introduction Manager, he excels in coordinating cross-functional teams, improving operational efficiency, and managing product lifecycles from development to launch. His technical expertise, paired with strategic insights from prior roles in sales and product management, enables him to drive both innovation and operational success effectively.
Corporate Engineering & Maintenance Director, Servier
With over 17 years of experience, Mohamed Kassem is a skilled engineering and product management professional specializing in project leadership, maintenance optimization, and new product introduction in the pharmaceutical and industrial sectors. As Engineering Director and New Product Introduction Manager, he excels in coordinating cross-functional teams, improving operational efficiency, and managing product lifecycles from development to launch. His technical expertise, paired with strategic insights from prior roles in sales and product management, enables him to drive both innovation and operational success effectively.
Director, Global Digital Technology, Cytiva
Shweta Ahire is the Director of Global Digital Technology at Cytiva, where she leads the advancement of digital capabilities across the biotechnology equipment services landscape. With a career rooted in Field Service Engineering, Remote Services, and Global Digital Operations, and shaped by leadership roles at GE HealthCare and Danaher, Shweta brings a distinctive blend of technical expertise, operational insight, and strategic vision.
She is at the forefront of digital transformation in life sciences, driving the integration of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 technologies—including IoT, AR/VR, and AI—into global service operations. Her work is instrumental in building scalable digital ecosystems that enhance equipment performance, enable predictive maintenance, and elevate customer experience across regulated markets.
Shweta’s approach is grounded in data-driven decision-making, cross-functional collaboration, and a passion for solving real-world challenges. She is deeply committed to using technology as a force for good—bridging the gap between innovation and impact to improve patient outcomes, human health, and the planet.
Global Portfolio Leader, Cytiva
Josh leads the global portfolio at Cytiva, driving the development and commercialization of innovative service offerings and managing the filtration integrity testing business. With extensive experience in product development, go-to-market strategy, and lifecycle management, Josh is dedicated to enhancing service solutions that improve operational efficiency and reliability in the biotech industry. His diverse background in luxury hospitality and technology strategy, along with an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University, adds a unique perspective to his role. Josh is passionate about combining exceptional customer experiences with advanced innovations, ensuring service offerings consistently meet high industry standards.
“By integrating technology and customer-focused design, we can enhance service capabilities to support biomanufacturing and create significant impacts for our customers.”
Sandoz is a global leader in off-patent medicines, based on our strong scientific heritage. Our purpose is to pioneer access for patients. We focus on driving access to make a difference for patients, working always with patients in mind.
Our mission is to improve people's health and quality of life by offering caregivers and healthcare professionals therapeutic solutions according to the highest standards of quality and safety, in the name of innovation. Alfasigma is one of the leading Italian pharmaceutical companies, operating in over 100 countries worldwide with approximately 4,000 employees dedicated to research, development, production, and distribution. With more than 70 years of history, the Company has a longstanding track record in developing innovative therapeutic indications to meet the new needs of patients while renewing and consolidating its existing products. Alfasigma has a strong focus in gastroenterology and worldwide has products also in vascular, metabolic areas and in nutraceuticals and medical foods. As part of its strategy to expand its specialty care portfolio, Alfasigma strengthened its international presence with targeted acquisitions in US and Europe in 2023. Alfasigma’s historical headquarters are located in Bologna, with another office in Milan. It has production sites in Italy, in Pomezia (RM), Alanno (PE), Sermoneta (LT) and Trezzano Rosa (MI), and abroad in Tortosa, Spain and in Shreveport (Louisiana) in the United States. Its R&D laboratories are in Pomezia and in the Parco Scientifico Tecnologico Kilometro Rosso in Bergamo.
Our passion for science and technology is what drives our around 63,000 employees across 65 countries to find solutions to some of today’s toughest challenges and create more sustainable ways to live.We are here for people at every step, helping create, improve and prolong life. We deliver personalized treatments for serious diseases and enable people to achieve their dream of becoming parents. We empower the scientific community. Our tools, services, and digital platform make research simpler, more exact, and help to deliver breakthroughs more quickly. We provide progressive treatment solutions that help improve access to health thanks to the accuracy of our tests and the reliability of our medicine. As a company, we are at the forefront of digital living. Our science sits inside technologies that change the way we access, store, process, and display information. Our innovative technology drives human progress and opens new possibilities to transform life on Earth as we know it.Thanks to the constant curiosity of our employees, we are making discoveries that can change the landscape of entire industries. For more than 350 years, we’ve been pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, and we’ll continue to do so in the years to come.
We strive to transform lives. While the science we advance is constantly evolving, our core purpose is enduring. For more than two centuries, our values have guided us to do what’s right for patients and for society. We know that changing lives requires us to do things differently. We start by listening to and addressing what really matters to patients, the people who love them, and those in the healthcare system who provide care. And that’s what inspires us all to be bold, push boundaries and set new standards that open up greater opportunities.
Founded to serve health, Servier is a global group governed by a Foundation that aspires to have a meaningful social impact, both for patients and for a sustainable world. With its unique governance model, it can fully serve its vocation with a long-term vision: being committed to therapeutic progress to serve patient needs. The 21,900 employees of the Group are committed to this shared vocation, a source of inspiration every day. As a world leader in cardiology, Servier's ambition is to become a focused and innovative player in oncology by targeting hard-to-treat cancers. That is why the Group allocates over 70% of its R&D budget to developing targeted and innovative therapies in oncology. Neuroscience and immuno-inflammatory diseases are the future growth drivers. In these areas, Servier is focused on a limited number of diseases in which accurate patient profiling makes it possible to offer a targeted therapeutic response through precision medicine. To promote access to quality care for all at a lower cost, the Group also offers a range of quality generic drugs covering most pathologies, relying on strong brands in France, Eastern Europe, Brazil and Nigeria. In all these areas, the Group includes the patient voice at each stage of the life cycle of a medicine. Headquartered in France, Servier relies on a strong geographical footprint in over 150 countries and achieved a revenue of €5.3 billion in 2023.
With a rich heritage dating back hundreds of years, Cytiva brings a wealth of technical expertise and talent, a broad and deep portfolio, and exceptional service help researchers and biopharma advance therapeutics at every stage from discovery to delivery.We supply the tools and support our customers need to work better, faster, and safer, leading to the delivery of transformative medicines to patients. Our combined portfolio includes well-recognized names such as Allegro™, Supor™, iCELLis™, and Kleenpak™, in addition to ÄKTA™, Amersham™, Biacore™, FlexFactory™, HyClone™, MabSelect™, Sefia™, Whatman™, and Xcellerex™. Visit cytiva.com to learn more.
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