Employee Spotlight • Meet: Robin

My name is Robin Kim and I am head of supply chain at Takeda, Singapore Manufacturing site. I have over 22 years of experience across various manufacturing and supply chain functions in the pharma and bio-pharma industry.

I joined the organization in 2012 as a supervisor in manufacturing support equipment preparation and did my ‘tour of duty’ in suite 1 cell culture, followed by suite 1 purification, and then as manufacturing support manager before taking on my current role in 2020.

What has your career journey with Takeda been so far?

My journey with Takeda is filled with opportunities and steep learning curves. I would have to say the most challenging transition was my stint in cell culture, as I lacked the chemical process knowledge then. Well, as the saying goes “no pain, no gain” – I gained all the necessary process knowledge through that role!

In my cell culture senior supervisor role, I worked very closely with the team, especially the day engineers, to understand issues and initiate my problem-solving mode. In retrospect, having the right mindset and attitude helped, as I wasn’t afraid to acknowledge my shortcomings or lack of knowledge and sought to learn from those who were happy to share their knowledge and experiences with me.

When I transited to my current role, which was a new role at the site then, I had no predecessor to learn from so I had to be a sponge and absorb all the knowledge and best practices I could find in the Takeda network and adapt to local/site needs.

What about your role do you find the most rewarding?

I am able to implement strategies that enhance efficiency, reduce costs and improve sustainability which brings a great sense of accomplishment.

What is your biggest achievement so far?

Implementing air-to-ocean shipment for one of our key raw materials which helps to save 0.3OY and reduce 254 tons of CO₂ per year.

This means a lot to me as it’s reducing carbon footprint, not only to meet the company’s ambition but as a personal achievement to do my bit for the environment.

Who has helped you in your career and how?

I have received support from my manager, peers and my team members. They have helped to coach me and work with me, and we persevered together during difficult times to overcome challenges and drive successful results.

When others ask, how do you describe what it’s like to work for Takeda?

Takeda Singapore has recently been certified as a Great Place to Work. While work can be challenging at times, the collaborative nature of the people in Takeda helps to cushion the struggle and ignites the team spirit to get things done together.

How do you balance your personal interests and obligations outside of work? Any tips?

I plan my personal interests and errands around my work. By setting boundaries, delegating tasks and practicing time management, I am able to effectively integrate work and personal needs.

As an example, on the days when I’m working from home, I may go to the gym, and during the workout, I will use the time to ponder over the challenges at work and it gives me the creative space to come up with possible mitigations.