Tag Archives: Webinar

Ferenc Tóth – ABB Enterprise Software

Ferenc TothFerenc Tóth has over 18 years’ experience in different areas including change and flow management consulting, sales, marketing outsourcing, business and management. During his career he has built up skills and experience with different market participants, such as private and governmental organisations, SMEs and multi-national companies.

He has knowledge of industrial software sales cycles and how presales activities support them, as well as the phases of the implementation project life cycle ranging from business analysis through testing to implementation.

  • How did you get into the industry and what do you enjoy most about your role?

After working in a variety of industries in different roles, I was presented with an opportunity to implement software in the plant operations environment.   My journey with ABB so far has included implementing new products and demonstrating to prospective customers.    I like being able to provide genuine solutions to real business problems.

  • “What motivates you?”

Doing something that I love, I am good at, where there is a need for it, and where I am rewarded. I like the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which is a term that embodies the idea of happiness in living. I strive to do every activity in life by ‘Ikigai mode’.

  • “What will the audience learn from attending the webinar?”

I hope that the webinar attendees will gain an appreciation of how digitalization of basic operations processes can benefit the organization at very different levels.    I also would like them to see that realising those benefits can be relatively easy, safe and inexpensive.

  • “Where is your favourite place in the world and why?”

2-3,000 feet above the ground in the pilot seat of a motor glider. I love the sensation of overwhelming freedom and peace when I glide.

Be sure to  join Ferenc & ABB Enterprise Software for their upcoming webinar “Using Mobile Operator Rounds to Achieve Excellence in Plant Operations for Chemical, Oil and Gas Companies” on 25th October 2017.

Anemia Affects Almost Two Billion People in the World. Now it’s Time to Act and Make use of the Ocean of Knowledge that Resides in a Drop of Blood

Anemia is a significant problem in many parts of the world. It’s particularly problematic in developing countries where infections and diseases are common. These add up to create a major burden on well-being, on quality of life, and even on the economies of entire countries. In women of reproductive age, the risk of anemia is substantial: if their condition is not detected and addressed effectively the risk of the problem being transferred to their children is high, which will have serious consequences for both physical and cognitive development. This feeds the never-ending inter-generational cycle of anemia. But – and this is a big but – the problem is avoidable. The first step in taking action against anemia is to become aware of the problem, and find out just how serious it is.

There are several causes of anemia; however, approximately half of the world’s anemia burden is due to iron deficiency. This can be caused by insufficient iron in the diet, and/or increased needs such as for menstruating or pregnant women or children with high growth rate. With a clear picture of the iron status in a population it’s possible to choose the right interventions, and use the right indicators to monitor their impact. There are, in fact, several anemia control programs around the world, which show that the prevalence of anemia can be reduced successfully through recurrent monitoring.

According to the WHO, the concentration of hemoglobin is the primary measure of anemia, and to measure it, accurate methods that give reproducible results should be used. For someone like me, who’s worked in blood analysis, and particularly hemoglobin analysis, for over 20 years, this is self-evident and something that no one could possibly argue against. Unfortunately, in reality this doesn’t happen. A variety of different methods are used worldwide to estimate the concentration of hemoglobin, and I’m afraid that many of them aren’t as accurate as you’d wish.

Why is this, when good methods already exist? One reason is that the problem of anemia is without a doubt greatest in developing countries, where laboratory facilities are not always available. Transporting blood samples from remote areas to hospitals is often difficult, and may not even be possible. Especially not in the case of big intervention programs where we are not talking about one or two blood samples – but thousands or even millions! Consequently, when designing practical and effective intervention programs, methods for screening and monitoring of hemoglobin levels should be done using reliable methods suitable for field conditions.

In 2012 the WHO member states endorsed global targets for improving maternal, infant, and young child nutrition and are committed to monitoring progress. One of these targets states that by 2025 anemia should be reduced by 50 % in women of reproductive age. To meet this target the availability of accurate and cost-effective methods to measure hemoglobin levels is vital.

The webinar “Efficient Screening Tools – Key to Combat Anemia” addresses the importance of accurate and suitable methods for anemia screening. You will learn about different methods for hemoglobin measurement available today, their advantages or disadvantages, and issues to pay extra attention to. You will also hear about examples of programs that have successfully reduced the prevalence of anemia by thorough screening, well-planned and well-implemented intervention, and accurate monitoring.

Be sure not to miss out on the webinar, register today!

The webinar will also be available on demand.

We look forward to your registration!

Annika Eriksson,

Clinical & Scientific Affairs Manager, HemoCue AB

David J. Laky, Vice President & General Manager, Clinical Solutions, ArisGlobal

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Mr. Laky oversees the Company’s eClinical business unit. The unit includes technology and services used for clinical research, including CTMS, EDC, and other key solutions included in ArisGlobal’s product portfolio.

What was your inspiration to get into the industry?

I’ve always had a passion for life sciences, especially with clinical trials and clinical trial management. These are critical processes that ensure patients are safe and provide critical insights for the pharmaceutical company.  Working in life sciences also provides a sense of purpose.  If we can assist with bringing products to market that help improve the quality of life for individuals then we are helping to make a difference.  Everyone knows someone who has been impacted by a disease or has benefited from the use of a medical device.  Knowing that we can contribute, even in the smallest way, helps drive the passion for working every day.

What is your favourite part about presenting to a live audience?

I enjoy applying what I’ve learned and hear from pharma companies and CRO’s – their business challenges specifically – and how technology can help convert those challenges into opportunities. Sharing these opportunities can help members of the audience and can help us receive valuable feedback..  There are a lot of smart and thoughtful people in this industry and to receive their feedback can be highly beneficial and important in driving our next steps forward as an organization and also helps us stay in touch with challenges that organizations face that may not be highly publicized in the marketplace.

What would you say is the biggest challenge currently being faced by CRO’s?

CRO’s are facing many challenges, but the leading challenge is simply managing the increasing workload. I talk to CRO’s large and small that are unable to realize their full market potential because their internal technology and associated processes simply can’t keep up. This translates into real revenue loss as many can’t support moving from Phase I trials to more complicated Phase II and Phase III trials – their technology simply can’t support it, and they can’t justify paying large software licensing fees upfront to support their growth plans.

What will the audience gain from attending your webinar?

The audience will gain some real-world insights from myself and members of my team as to why many CRO’s are adopting an “Agile CRO” program to better manage clinical trials and the associated workflow. We’re also really excited to have Richard Abbink, Director of Planning and Process Architecture at Julius Clinical on with us to share real-world insights as well. I should also mention that this isn’t just for the larger companies: small-to-medium sized CRO’s will also learn how they can access technology for a fraction of the cost previously available so they can level the playing field when competing against larger CRO’s.

I am excited by our program.  We know that other industry players have CRO programs and they spend a lot of time focusing on generating business from CROs.  We are looking at our CRO program from a slightly different perspective. We are looking to help CROs generate new business for themselves.  We have this wonderful modular solution that is functionally very broad and deep.  Our CTMS and CDMS solutions offer our customers a set of tools that will help their business in their core areas and, because of the modularity, will enable organizations to expand their business offerings into different areas when the opportunity presents itself.  Imagine a CRO being able to add safety case management to their core offering by simply adding the ARISg CRO module to their suite of products?

The other approach we have taken is to enable our CRO partners to sign up for only what they need and add additional users as they go.  In the past the upfront commitment would require a huge investment that precluded some organizations from implementing technology that could be used as a competitive advantage.  We want to extend those tools to everyone.

Where is your favourite place in the world and why?

The beach is my favorite place.  The beach is calming yet exciting at the same time.  It is great to relax by the water and hear the waves crashing against the shore and at other times being near the water seems to re-energize a person and makes you appreciate what you have.  I also associate the beach with my immediate and extended family as we tend to all like to vacation together at the end of every summer in an effort to get summer to last just a little bit longer.

Be sure to join David and ArisGlobal as they present their webinar “Learn How CRO’s Can Boost Profits and Productivity”. Register here!

Pim Spierenburg, Head of Smart Markets, EMEA, OMNETRIC Group

Pim SpierenburgAs VP Smart Market EMEA within OMNETRIC he is responsible for the solution architecture of meter data management, demand response and VPP solution in Europe, Middle East and Africa. He has 12 years of Utility experience of which he mostly worked in Meter Data Management and Smart Metering.

Prior to joining OMNETRIC in 2014, Pim was working as senior solution architect within Accenture Smart Grid Services for 5 years. Before that he worked for Itron and CGI.

1. What are you looking forward to explaining to the audience?

Clean energy has arrived in many forms, from PV to wind power, but it’s still hard for operators to integrate it reliably into the grid and manage it effectively.  DERMS – Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems – are helping to solve this challenge, providing a single platform to manage load aggregation, storage and generation.

2. Why did you decide to do a webinar with Business Review Webinars?

The topic of DERMS and managing clean energy is one that is not limited to utilities. Indeed, companies, communities, universities and hospitals for example, are all thinking about how they can better manage their energy generation and use in the future.  Business Review Webinars are a good platform for educating a broad audience effectively.

3.  How did you get into the industry and what do you most enjoy about your role?

My start in the industry was implementing new legislation for metering during the deregulation of the Dutch utility market. I then ventured into the world of meter data management and smart metering as a solution architect. Over the last couple of years, I have focused on the potential of using meter data management platforms for other purposes, such as Demand Response and aggregating Distributed Energy Resources (DER) for virtual power plant purposes. In my current role at OMNETRIC Group, I am responsible for the Smart Market portfolio in EMEA. This provides me with the opportunity to work on the cutting edge of new developments on grid end-points, developing new propositions with my team of Solution Architects and Engineers for clients.

4. What are you hoping to achieve in the future in your personal and professional life?

I want to finish the Defi Wind in Gruissan in 2017. It’s the largest annual worldwide gathering of competing windsurfers with over a thousand amateurs and pros launching from the same start line.

5. Where is your favourite place in the world?

That is a tough one, but I will have to go with Sapa in Vietnam.

Join Pim as OMNETRIC Group present their latest webinar “DERMS – Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems”! 

Kevin J. Wrigley, Product and Service Manager, Vetter Pharma International GmbH

Kevin J. Wrigley

Kevin J. Wrigley earned his MSc in International Business from the University of Ulster, UK in 2009. At Vetter, he is responsible for managing the commercial manufacturing business as it pertains to the product lifecycle and portfolio management perspective. Kevin began his career in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries in management positions at Smith & Nephew, and MorphoSys. He joined Vetter International in 2013 as Product & Service Manager.

1.      Why did you decide to do a webinar with Business Review Webinars?
Webinars are an important vehicle for helping us reach our target audiences with key messages. Given our positive experience with webinars in the past, it is to our advantage to continue participating in them. We see Business Review Webinars as the right partner to help deliver our messages to the market.

2.      What are you looking forward to explaining to the audience?
We would like to educate audiences to the trends that are occurring in the pharmaceutical industry, and what to consider when choosing a drug delivery system. In particular, we would like to make them aware of the options available with prefilled syringes.

3.      How did you get into the industry and what do you most enjoy about your role?
I started working in the industry in the area of drug discovery, followed by positions in medical technology, and drug development. I am fascinated by the ever-changing nature of the industry. My current position offers me a great deal of satisfaction as I have the opportunity to interact with a wide-variety of internal and external stakeholders.

4.      Football or tennis?
I like both sports, though I am but a spectator in football and a more talented in playing tennis.

5.       What would someone be surprised to know about you?
I see myself as a cosmopolitan; living & working in so many different places that I feel the world as a whole is my home!

Don’t forget to join the upcoming Vetter Pharma webinar titled ‘Packaging challenges for prefilled syringes in a growing biologics market‘ on November 17th. Register here.

 

Stephen Craven, PhD, Life Sciences Team Leader, APC Ltd, Dublin, Ireland.

 

Stephen Craven

Dr. Stephen Craven earned his PhD from the School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, where he developed bioprocess models for mammalian cell fermentations and also developed and applied advanced control strategies to PAT enabled bioprocesses. Dr. Craven currently works as the life sciences team leader within the Applied Process Company (APC) Ltd, Dublin. APC is one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical process engineering research and development companies.

  1. Why did you decide to do a webinar with Business Review Webinars?

I have been collaborating with Eppendorf for a number of years in the field of upstream bioprocess development. We recently decided to share the innovative knowledge gained from our collaboration  which applies APCs BioACHIEVE™ engineering platform technogies and Eppendorf DASGIP® Parallel Bioreactor Systems. Business Review Webinars has a proven track record to be a world leader in providing webinar platforms for knowledge transfer on a wide range of topics.

  1. How did you get into the industry?

After graduating as a chemical and bioprocess engineer from University College Dublin, I decided to under take a PhD in the area of process analytical technology (PAT) and closed loop feedback control of bioprocesses. Upon completion of my postgraduate studies, I joined APC as a biopharmaceutical research engineer. APC offered the perfect arena for me to progress and apply my knowledge through the use of its BioACHIEVE™ engineering platform technologies developed to provide custom, large molecule bioprocess engineering solutions across the entire life cycle of development through manufacturing — from upstream, cell culture thru to downstream and fill-finish — including applications in bio-catalysis and bio-conjugates.

  1. What do you most enjoy about your role?

Within my role as life sciences team leader at APC, I have the oppurtunity to develop innovative bioprocess engineering solutions for the biopharmaceutical industry and transfer this knowledge to the R&D lab or production plant floor of our clients. Being able to contribute to the accelerated delivery of quality, life-changing medicines to the patient is always fullfilling and makes my job role worthwhile.

  1. What has been your best holiday and where would you recommend visiting?

My best holiday has to be a 3 month cultural exchange program to Long Island, New York I participated in at the end of my graduate studies.

I also highly recommend visiting the idyllic island of ilhabela located 6.5 kilomteteres off the coast of Sao Paulo state in Brazil. Ilhabela offers 4 kilometers of pristine beaches and a tropical island’s worth of hiking trails.

  1. What motivates you?

I would say my main motivation is working with a passionate, innovative team, working together to achieve the one goal of providing value to our clients and in turn the patient.

Join Stephen in the upcoming Eppendorf webinar ‘Process Analytical Technology in Biopharmaceutical development‘ on 19th November. Register here.

MR. NIGEL TRACEY, HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, HIGHCON

Nigel TracyNigel Tracey has 25 years experience in printing and packaging, particularly in the folding carton and corrugated board industries. Nigel has held various senior sales and marketing positions, most recently as Head of Sales for the sheet-fed business unit at Bobst Group, where he was responsible for the global sales network and sales operations. Nigel is based in Switzerland.

1. Why did you decide to do a webinar with us?

An important step in converting an industrial process is to enable the upstream buying process and enlighten it to what digital is now bringing.

2. How did you get into the industry?

Some how I got hooked when my father used to take me to printing and packaging shops as a young teenager, the creativity mixed with industrial process was something that appealed.

3. In your 20/25 years’ experience, what was the best moment in your career?

Seeing a piece of packaging in the high street that had majorly changed the way we consumers interface with and product and knowing that I had been involved with it’s design, conception and realisation.

4. How do you relax in your leisure time?

I’m an avid aquaculturist and I enjoy growing and propagating diverse marine life, salt water and electricity are a great distraction to most things.

5. What’s your favourite flavour of ice-cream?

Mövenpick double cream and meringue, the calorie free version…

Join Nigel in the upcoming Highcon webinar ‘Packaging Disruption – Shorter Runs, Faster to Shelf‘ on 17th November. Register here.

Dr. Michael Komenda, Corporate Senior Director, Head of Analytical Development R&D, LTS Lohmann Therapy Systems

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Dr. Michael Komenda has more than 10 years experience in analytical development in the pharmaceutical industry. He studied chemistry at the University of Cologne, Germany, and at the Research Center Jülich, Germany, where he gained his doctorate degree in chemistry. He joined the Pharmaceutical Industry in 2003 and has held various positions in analytical development at SCHWARZ BIOSCIENCES. After the merger with UCB, he became head of analytical development at the German site and lateron head of the Transdermal Center of Expertise within UCB. Since 2012 he is head of Analytical Development at LTS in Andernach, Germany

1. Why did you decide to do a webinar with Business Review Webinars?
In addition to workshops and conferences, webinars provide an easy access platform to share information with a broader audience at minimal or even no costs. For the audience, it is easily possible to have a look into a scientific field that may be of interest, without the need of spending money for travel, accomodation and fees. The investment is just an hour of time, which hopefully turns out to be a wise investment.

2. What are you looking forward to explaining to the audience?
I want to give people insight into the analytical testing of Transdermal Delivery Systems (TDS). Patches are still a niche market and only a relatively small number of companies have hands-on experience.

3. What is the ideal outcome you would like from doing the webinar?
The ideal outcome would be that scientists and others in product development understand that a patch is a valuable alternative to just another tablet development, and that suitable analytical techniques are available to support TDS development. For people who already work in that field, it would be interesting to trigger a scientific discussion on some open questions as follow-up.

4.  Where is your favorite place in the world and why?
My favorite place is Cologne, Germany. Come here and experience the city and its people, and you will know why.

5. What motivates you?
To do something meaningful and to develop a product or a process

 

Join Dr. Michael Komenda who will be presenting in LTS Lohmann Therapy Systems webinar ‘Analytic considerations for testing Transdermal Delivery Systems‘ on 19th November at 3PM London/10AM New York. Register here.

Is Your Business Solution Adequate to Support Your Growth: Find Out in my Upcoming Webinar

Finding a needle in a haystack is hard, but the task pales in comparison to finding a specific needle in a pile of needles. Selecting the ideal Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution from among the numerous options on the market can feel like just as daunting a challenge. ERP represents a serious investment for any organization and is vital to future success. As such, a great deal is at stake. The ERP selection process should be regarded as a top priority, with appropriate time and resources devoted to it. Top performing organizations approach the selection process with a clear plan in mind and come away with solutions that implement smoothly and help drive business immediately. Further, those that get the most value out of ERP choose a solution that can support them through business change and as they continue to grow. On the other hand, less meticulous organizations become saddled with solutions that continually disappoint, put additional strain on the organization, and often need to be replaced.

In many of my past research surveys, I asked survey takers to indicate the selection criteria they choose when selecting ERP. Functionality and ease of use always come out on top. But while these two selection criteria are integral to selecting a solution that fits your organization today, neither of these criteria are necessarily permanent. Functionality may no longer be adequate as your organization’s needs change, and a system that seems easy to use today may feel clunky in comparison to newer, upgraded solutions over time. In fact, a recent study of mine asked survey takers to indicate the reasons that they replaced their old ERP system (Figure 1). Three of the top four reasons concern solutions that are no longer able to support the business. Maybe it does not have the features needed to continue to operate effectively; maybe it is unable to support connections with emerging technologies; or maybe it can no longer handle the business due to explosive growth. Regardless of the reason, what is the point of paying maintenance on an ERP solution that can no longer support the business?

Figure I: Is it Time to Replace Our System?
IFS

But replacing an ERP can be expensive and disruptive to the business as well as carry a lot of risk. Organizations could be better off staying on the latest version of their solution (the Best-in-Class are 61% more likely to be on the latest release), as well as doing necessary tailoring themselves. For this reason, Best-in-Class organizations are 83% more likely to have a solution that can be quickly tailored to reflect business change. Therefore, flexibility needs to be a top criteria used when selecting an ERP.

This flexibility expands an organizations ability to grow, support new business models, remain compliant, and take advantage of emerging technology. My research has uncovered numerous benefits from selecting an adaptable solution. I have also uncovered many tips on how to take advantage of this flexibility to become a more effective organization. I would like to invite you to attend a webinar that I am presenting on June 9 at 10am EST in partnership with IFS to hear some of these tips. You can register for the webinar by clicking here. I hope you can make it.

 

Dr. Kai U. Ziegler, Vice President Engineering Compressors, MAN Diesel & Turbo

Kai Ziegler has the overall responsibility of MAN Diesel & Turbo’s compressor engineering departments in Oberhausen. He is deeply involved in project AIRMAX and pushed its development from scratch to market maturity. Ever since he finished his studies of mechanical engineering with a doctoral degree at RWTH Aachen, Ziegler dedicated his professional life to research, development and engineering of compressors. He joined MAN in 2005.

1. What are you looking forward to explaining to the audience?

My colleagues Sebastian Parzigas and Dr. Marco Ernst will reflect on the reasons that have led to the development of AIRMAX “mega-trains” for large air separation units. In short, they are mainly used to produce large amounts of oxygen for the subsequent Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. This is a future-oriented process that is used to produce synthetic fuels out of coal or natural gas. They will have a detailed look on the advantages of AIRMAX for our customers – mainly better price, higher efficiency and highest robustness. The audience will be introduced to the technical configuration of AIRMAX and the development of its new axial/radial main air compressor AR-MAX1. My colleagues will also reflect on the “first-time-right” shop tests, the erection of the first references in world scale coal-to-liquid plants and the latest machine concepts for high pressure air separation.

2. Why did you decide to do a webinar with Business Review Webinars?

We have recently organized physical events for our customers at MAN Diesel & Turbo’s Oberhausen site in Germany. The feedback that we got was extremely positive. Now we are trying to allow even more interested parties to see and discuss our latest developments, independent from their residence and without the need of traveling. We regard a webinar with Business Review Webinars as a good option to continue and enlarge the dialogue with our existing and new stakeholders.

3. What do you most enjoy about presenting to a live audience?

It is clearly the chance to get a direct feedback from the audience and to answer their questions as close as possible to the point of time when they occur. In general, I enjoy uncomplicated ways of communication.

 4. What motivates you?

The development of the AIRMAX air compressor train was an ambitious and challenging task. In fact, it is the result of several years of intensive development work. Together with our development partner MTU Aero Engines in Munich we have combined for the first time the advantages of industrial compressors with the advantages of gas turbine or aero engine compressors, resulting in the new blading generation MAX1. It is extremely satisfying – and in a way overwhelming – how the market has responded. We have sold a total of 19 AIRMAX trains even before we had the first one running in the field. That success, supported by first-time-right shop test results, is highly motivating – for all our staff and for sure for myself.

In my every day working life I’m also motivated by the exceptional team spirit we have. When I’m walking through the offices I can often see that colleagues have put press clippings or pictures of AIRMAX on their walls. They are fully committed to our product. That’s very encouraging.

 5. What has been your best holiday and where would you recommend visiting?

That clearly depends on the life situation. I had my most fascinating vacation, when I was a doctoral student, by car from Germany through Spain and Portugal, including Gibraltar. Today I prefer more relaxed holidays in family clubs in Greece or Turkey, where I can play with my two boys in the pool or the sea the whole day long.

Dr Kai U. Ziegler’s colleagues Dr Marco Ernst and  Sebastian Parzigas will be presenting the MAN webinar ‘A New Generation of Air Compressor Trains for Air Separation Units’ on the 5th February at the following times:

8am London / 9am Paris

3pm London / 10am New York