An Interview with Andrea Duda

Head of Talent Acquisition Market Solutions Partner, North America Group Human Resources- Millipore Signa

She shared, “MilliporeSigma is helping to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with products and solutions that allow scientists to detect and characterize viruses and to develop vaccines and therapies. As a global life science equipment and tools supplier, we are committed to providing researchers with the necessary raw materials, products and services that can aid the global scientific effort to fight this novel virus. We provide products and services for vaccine production and provides raw materials and components such as chemicals, enzymes and antibodies, as well a number of other laboratory products. A list of approximately 200 relevant products, can be found on our dedicated Web page on SigmaAldrich.com. This site includes information on products available to scientists working on COVID-19 research for potential vaccines.”

She went on to say, “Our customers, biotechs, pharmaceutical companies and academic labs around the world are counting on our products and services. We are continuing operations at all of our sites and production facilities. Our supply chain team is constantly monitoring the inventory levels of our products to ensure that availability keeps up with critical demand. We are mobilizing to deliver these essential products and ensure minimal disruption to our supply chain with efforts that include regimented cleaning schedules, installing water systems, identifying replacements for backordered products, implementing redundant inventory in our distribution centers and reviewing warehouse strategies to accommodate for locally enforced measures. We are increasing stock of products sourced and activating our validated secondary suppliers in accordance with our quality procedures where necessary. We have not experienced any significant disruption to the availability of our products to date.

Our top priority remains the safety and well-being of our employees. At each of our global sites, we have implemented stringent safety measures that prioritize the well-being of our employees while allowing our 59 manufacturing sites around the world to remain operational for the benefit of the many scientists and customers that rely on us. Slowing down a further spread of the coronavirus is now of utmost relevance. To support this global challenge, we are:

• Implementing work from home whenever possible and wherever appropriate. All managers have been instructed to develop viable, flexible solutions for their teams.
• Using virtual meeting technology to continue collaborating with the global scientific community. For those employees who continue to develop, manufacture, package and ship products or provide services at our sites, we have implemented workplace distancing precautions and staggered shifts. We have encouraged managers to be as flexible as possible for employees who positions do not allow them to work from home.
• Making specific arrangements for colleagues with specific requirements, be it pre-existing health conditions or childcare obligations in times of schools and childcare facilities being shut down.”

Lastly, she shared, “ Moving forward will require problem solving, and the scientific community working on solutions to this global challenge will need to balance priorities to protect public health, operate safely despite disruption and plan for recovery. During the COVID-19 response effort, life science companies and other providers need to focus on the health and safety of employees while ensuring that their technologies, products and services reach those who rely on them.

One positive is that while navigating this pandemic, collaboration to accelerate that response has already begun. MilliporeSigma has convened its Innovation Board — R&D leaders, biologists, chemists, data scientists, and engineers from across the organization — to contribute to the response with ideas to resolve the outbreak. The group is working to assemble an open session with scientific experts to share knowledge and build scenarios dedicated to fighting the virus. With this balance of priorities, the global scientific community can fight the COVID-19 virus together and potentially find a treatment.”