After his international career in the pharmaceutical industry and another 16 productive years at PharmaKorell, Dr Robert Buck has decided to finally hand over his projects to Dr Helene Geese and Bastian Fleitz and to retire permanently. 

His entry into PharmaKorell in 2009, when the company was still in its infancy, was originally meant to be just a short-term consultancy. However, what began as a temporary engagement developed into a long-standing collaboration. In this blog post, we look back on Robert’s significant contributions and explore the valuable experiences he gathered. Robert’s story shows that it’s never too late to start a new chapter.

Robert, you started as a consultant at PharmaKorell in 2009 when it was still a very small company. What motivated you to do so?

After taking early retirement from the corporate world, I still felt too youthful and energetic to fully retire. PharmaKorell offered me the opportunity to work as a freelance employee with a self-chosen workload. The work was very varied, enjoyable, and gave me the feeling of still being needed and appreciated with my experience. I was able to look after my clients very independently from my own office. What was originally planned as three years of activity at PharmaKorell ultimately became 16 years.

What were your highlights during your time at PharmaKorell?

A highlight was always successfully passing a regulatory inspection with a client. It showed me that I am technically up-to-date and have done good work for my client. Another highlight was creating the QA system when setting up a subsidiary for a client. Additional highlights included two successful product launches on the European market. With my QP release, I was able to help patients receive new medications for better treatment of their illnesses.

What advice would you give to potential new employees at PharmaKorell?

Be open to new tasks and customers, enjoy new challenges, be ready to take responsibility, and bring a lot of experience from your previous professional activity. Clients come to PharmaKorell because they need support and expertise for their companies. You must deliver this support and expertise. The work at PharmaKorell requires commitment, flexibility, creativity, and a sense of proportion in solving problems.

How does the working method at PharmaKorell differ from that at large pharmaceutical companies?

I learned more in the years at PharmaKorell than I had previously in 28 years in the pharmaceutical large industry. The work at PharmaKorell is more varied and often more responsible than in large companies. At PharmaKorell, you work with different clients, often on quite different topics and tasks. You come into contact with a variety of pharmaceutical dosage forms, from active substance production to market supply, including GMP audits, support during regulatory inspections, and consultancy on GMP questions.

Robert, what will you do with all your free time in the future?

I have a large garden and five grandchildren. I also very much enjoy travelling to exotic countries. I will now have more time for this. And I look forward to the fact that when I get up in the morning, I no longer have to ask what I must do today, but what I would like to do today.