Meet the maker: EPM talks to Chargepoint's Ben Wylie

In the latest Meet the maker, EPM speaks to Ben Wylie, senior product manager at ChargePoint Technology who talks about the challenges of the industry, why he loves it and what the industry needs to remain innovative. 

Could you give us a brief description of yourself?

Im a senior product manager at ChargePoint Technology where I’m responsible for our range of powder containment and aseptic powder handling systems. It is my job to make sure we are bringing the right solutions to market to meet manufacturers needs now and in the future. I relish working alongside such a mix of technical, commercial, management and service teams to bring the whole jigsaw together with a big focus on not just the development of new products but also making sure existing products continue to do the job as well. I have been involved in the pharma industry, in various guises, for over 12 years. Outside of work life I have two young children and a wife who keep me busy.

Please describe your average day in five words.

Podcast, PowerPoint, products, planning, family.

At what point did you decide to be involved in the pharma market?

I’m not sure I specifically made the decision to target the pharma industry but I was certainly attracted by the opportunity to work in an area which was completely new to me straight from university where I studied product design and biomechanics. I was struck by the challenge as well as all the different and novel technologies and complex processes that goes into improving people’s health.

What has been your biggest achievement?

It’s been incredible to have been involved in driving the business from a small more localised supplier of a specialist powder transfer device into today, a global leader in our field. We are almost unrecognisable as a company but have managed to stay true to our values.

What would you say is your worst trait?

I’m a stickler for detail and like to make sure key decisions aren’t taken without due consideration, I’m quite risk averse. Sometimes that can mean a longer process but hopefully a better outcome.

What do you love about your job?

The diversity of my job is what keeps me on my toes. No two days are the same. I enjoy working with a broad group of teams and stakeholders from sales to engineering, customers and suppliers to name a few. I have a fairly creative mind set and really enjoy working with our innovation team alongside customers to understand how we can better solve their problems. It’s fascinating hearing about how our powder transfer solutions can help assure the quality of medicines and the health of those that make them.

If anything, what would you change about your job?

As much as the pharma industry is innovative, with all the (clearly necessary) regulatory governance and shifting landscapes, it can be quite slow to accept change and get momentum with new ideas. It would be great if things could happen quicker sometimes, however I’d certainly not compromise on the quality of the medicines for sure.

If you weren’t in the pharma industry what job would you like to do?

Most likely a product designer or biomechanics practitioner in the sporting world. But in my dreams a pro athlete.

What challenges do you foresee being important over the next 10 years?

There are many factors involved in a changing landscape such as the potency of active ingredients, continuous challenges from cross contamination in multi-use facilities, validation in sterile production, a more fragmented supply chain with the rise of the CMO, and increased market competition to name a few. Ultimately the market needs more standardised, flexible, validated, ready to go solutions which generally point in the direction of single use technologies. However, these technologies cannot compromise on performance, rather, they will need to evolve to improve upon the status quo as opposed to just be a cheaper alternative, which is the biggest challenge. Companies across the industry will need to come together to coordinate common solutions rather than just do things their own way.

In your opinion, what will offer the biggest opportunities in the future?

The Pharma 4.0 (Industry 4.0) and IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) themes offer up some interesting avenues for manufacturers to exploit technology to improve upon outcomes for themselves and patients. For instance, the recent development of new smart monitoring technology for our own containment systems offers customers more data, helping them to manage the health status of their device.