Semcon StoriesQuality Excellence
Being curious is my way to constantly grow
Karin Orhaug is both Team Manager and a consultant within quality management towards the life science industry. She believes it’s her curiosity and constant want to develop that has made her a skilled quality manager as well as an experienced teacher to new employees just entering the world of life science.
I have always been curious and open to change. It can mean moving to a new city, abroad or changing from one area to another within my field of work: quality management. This mindset has given me opportunities to experience Paris, UK and Switzerland. Even though I have developed a great deal of expertise within the pharmaceutical industry, I am still curious about things and new challenges that provide me with inspiration.
So, what is my expertise? I have long experience in drug development, from pre-clinical to clinical areas and I have worked in different roles. The last years I have focused on Quality Assurance roles and have been working with different quality management systems (QMS) like, Good Laboratory Practice, Good Manufacturing Practice and Good Clinical Practice. My goal has always been to get a broad experience within quality management. Having the perspective from different areas is interesting and I am fascinated about how many similarities there are between the different QMS.
I enjoy using all the knowledge I have collected over my more than twenty-five years in the life science industry and I am proud to work in a field that truly benefits people. I also love being part of a team and working in an organization where people can grow, develop their skills, and reach new goals. I enjoy the mix of work, in the office together with my lovely colleagues and at the customer site.
I have found a passion in training co-workers, which is something that I’ve done at previous jobs as well as now at Semcon. My drive is to develop myself and others and to find a way to explain complicated things as easily as possible.
In addition to this, I was asked to take the lead in the planning of Semcon Life Science Academy 2022. A program for young talents or for those who want to switch industry and start working in Life Science. This has been inspiring and given me a new network of contacts within Semcon’s Life Science area. I strongly believe that collaboration between the Life Science departments in Sweden is an important factor to find synergies and smart ways to share information.
Why work as a consultant? I wanted to continue to develop myself and saw an opportunity to do this at Semcon. After three months with the company, I was asked to become an acting team manager for the employees at department 116. This is just the kind of challenge that I like and an opportunity that was hard to resist. Having a mixed role, being TM and consultant is a perfect mix. As a consultant at Semcon, I can further develop my competence and skills. An assignment as interim Quality Manager within a cosmetic company following ISO22716 and ISO13485 was a step in that direction.
Follow your passion and grow your skills, it’s never too late!
About Karin
Title: Team Manager & Senior Quality Manager at Semcon
Education: MSc in Chemistry from University of Gothenburg
Worked at Semcon since: March 2021
I have most fun at work when I…: work with inspiring persons and have a chance to develop myself
