Meet Vivien, Business
Perspectives
Participant at Roche

Hi, my name is…

…Vivien and I am from Singapore. Having lived and worked in four countries in the past eight years, including a year at IMD Business School in Switzerland for my MBA, I enjoy the excitement that comes through experiencing different cultures. This was a key motivation behind my interest in the Business Perspectives programme offered by Roche. Thanks to the programme, I have had the opportunity to work in Roche’s global, regional and affiliate teams across different diagnostics business areas. The excitement of being able to learn and try something new every day is what gets me out of bed in the morning!

My typical day at work is…

…varies from rotation to rotation. On my current rotation in Singapore, I work with our Global team in Switzerland and 16 countries in Asia Pacific to coordinate the launch of a new diagnostics product in the Asia Pacific region. As project manager, it is common to have frequent conference calls and face-to-face meetings with various functions from the global, regional and local teams. Just this morning, we had a meeting to decide on the look and feel of our upcoming launch meeting, discussing how best to communicate Roche’s focus and investment in medical innovations that have an impact on the patient. Sales, marketing, regulatory, service engineering – these are only a fraction of all the functions that need to work together to bring a product to market. It is truly a team effort!

The location I’m working at is…

…Roche’s Asia Pacific regional office in Singapore. My office is located close to a metro station, so I usually take the underground for 30 minutes to commute to and from work. Roche occupies around three floors in this commercial building, which we share with Roche Diagnostics’ local Singapore team and Roche Diabetes Care. From our building, we can enjoy the view of the Kallang River and Singapore Flyer, which is always nice to look at while drafting your next email.

My work helps Roche to …

…make its new diagnostics products available in the Asia Pacific region. This involves navigating the complexity and diversity of market dynamics and regulatory requirements across all 16 countries in our region. At the end of the day, my job aims to help hospital laboratories provide patients with the best care, as they are able to diagnose patients more efficiently and accurately.

Roche as an employer is…

…a people-oriented company with a unique culture that places a lot of emphasis on its values and leadership principles. Despite being so new to the medical industry, I was given the opportunity to organise my first launch meeting for Asia Pacific’s VIP customers. There were many formalities that I was unfamiliar with, but my colleagues were always there when I had questions or needed advice.

What's the best advice you have ever received in your career and who gave it to you?

My careers officer at IMD business school said, “When faced with a choice, choose what makes you happy.” You will face many choices throughout your career. One option may look more attractive than the other from a logical point of view, but the final decision should always be made based on which option makes you a happier, more fulfilled person. Happiness is not always a given.

​​​​​​​What do you do to help strike a work-life balance?

I always try to learn something new whenever I move to a new country. I have tried playing the ukulele, attending wine appreciation classes and I am currently learning tennis!

Do you want to find out more about the Business Perspectives Programme at Roche? Click here.