Meet Oana | Roche

Tell us a bit about yourself

I was born in Bucharest, Romania, where I studied Information Systems. I also lived in Gothenburg, Sweden, during part of my Masters studies. I started my professional career in Bucharest working for a few local consulting and IT development companies. In 2012, I moved to Basel to join an IT Graduate Program, which led to other local opportunities, and finally I joined Roche in 2019.

Why did you decide to join Roche?

The culture and the motivated people. Living in Basel, of course I had the chance to meet other Roche colleagues and it was motivating to me to see how highly they speak of the company, its mission and culture, and most importantly how dedicated people are. I think people have more chances to reach their full potential when they are in a supportive and motivating environment.

What is your current role in Group Audit & Risk Advisory?

I am Senior IT Auditor within the North America and Group Functions team. In my role we audit various IT projects, programs, processes or organisations that have an IT component. What I like about the role is that it is not fully prescriptive and there is always room for creativity and negotiation. I also appreciate the fact that I can join other teams on their audits so there is an element of collaboration between the different GA&RA teams.

What can you tell us about the work environment?

The work environment is very open and diverse. We have colleagues with a variety of backgrounds and from many different countries. The company culture is very inclusive and encouraging people to speak up their minds and collaborate as much as possible. I like the fact that I can learn from my team colleagues and also be social. People who are naturally curious and open minded will feel like fish in water. There is always something new to learn .

How would you describe Roche as an employer?

I find Roche very mindful of its people and it offers a lot of development opportunities. The management style is based on trust, and as an employee I feel grateful for the amount of flexibility and learnings that are offered. There are a lot of events organised by different groups where you can go and meet other people to feel connected to a diversity of topics related to our business.

How is your job connected to the Roche purpose of “Doing now what patients need next”?

In my job, we make sure that the different IT programs, projects, processes or groups are on track to achieve their business goals and ultimately deliver value down the line to our patients. We advise them how to mitigate the risks embedded in our findings and we commonly agree on what actions need to be taken to ensure that they are well focused and efficient. I believe that we are all part of a chain and by contributing to each other’s goals we all contribute to Roche’s goal of “Doing now what patients need next”.

What can you tell about openings in your department? What would you advise job seekers who want to join us?

I would advise people to consider a career in audit if they are naturally curious and they like to connect the dots and find solutions. We are looking for people with an audit background but not only this, as consulting experience or appropriate business expertise is also essential to our type of auditor profile. If a job seeker wants to join us they should either apply for one of the open positions or contact one of our audit directors. We are happy to meet our potential new colleagues!