TECH OUTLOOKTECH OUTLOOKDECEMBER - 202119Adapt to New Trends to be Competitive By Brian Thoma, PhD; Director Service Solutions North America, QIAGEN [NYSE:QGEN]Brian Thoma completed his post-doctorate fellowship from MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2005. He began his journey in the biotechnology industry with QIAGEN in 2005 as a field service engineer repairing and troubleshooting the laboratory equipment that QIAGEN sells. In 2007 he moved into a leadership role within field service with increasing responsibilities over the years. Brian became the Director of Service Solutions North America for QIAGEN in 2017, responsible for post-sales support. Oversite in the role includes: telephone technical service, on-site field service, repair center depots, service contract sales and service administration for billing and invoicing.According to you, what are the significant challenges that the pandemic brought in the biotech industry?The pandemic has affected every industry, and the biotech industry is no different. Most companies experienced challenges with their supply chains, whether procuring raw materials, finished goods, or hiring new talent. It is more challenging to train the workforce as face-to-face interaction is not always possible. We have adapted to remote training where feasible, but it isn't easy to deliver the same level of training to our employees. As is evident in daily news media, the topic of vaccinations is sensitive and often divisive. We are experiencing challenges serving our customers as an increasing number of customers require proof of the vaccination to enter sites and work on the equipment. QIAGEN is carefully considering how to navigate the intersections of personal liberty, business needs, customer requirements and our obligations as responsible members of society.Could you tell us about the projects that you are currently working on?We are still dealing with multiple challenges coinciding with the pandemic, especially with talent recruitment. We are actively searching to recruit good-fit talent for QIAGEN as we believe we offer an exceptional work environment, culture, growth opportunity and benefits. From a training standpoint, we have embraced video conferencing and Don't wait for your next opportunity; start behaving like you already have it and act accordingly. Initiate and drive your own destinyCXO INSIGHTSBrian Thoma
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