Employee Perspective: Meet Erin

For Erin, a Country Therapeutic Area Leader at Roche, taking on some of life’s toughest diseases is possible, because she is surrounded by colleagues that truly care about improving patient outcomes. Erin takes pride in the difference Roche is making to so many lives - working with her team to help bring the industry’s strongest pipeline of specialised medicines through clinical trials.

“What makes you really proud about being part of Roche is that decisions here are made not purely for commercial reasons - it’s more about helping others and the greater good. We work tirelessly on medicines for rare diseases which affect a small number of Australians. We do this because there is an unmet need and we know we can make a difference. At Roche, you really commit to a team that is making a difference – because the whole organisation is that dedicated. We genuinely care.

I’m inspired by our pipeline - we have a large number of molecules across a broad range of diseases. Right now we’re working on initiatives for Alzheimer’s disease - a highly complex and debilitating illness. Over the years, many molecules have failed, but at Roche, we haven’t given up. We’re still there, remaining committed to finding solutions for the seemingly impossible. I truly believe we have one of the best neurodegenerative disease portfolios in the industry, and we’re supported by the science and the integrity of our company to continue to provide hope for patients and their families.

My role is at the grass-roots stage of medicine, where I play a part in moving clinical trials forward. I’m involved well before anything reaches a commercial team. With what I do you get to see how passionate the doctors and nurses are about making a difference to patients. We are really aligned in our focus.

I’m fortunate to work across many areas in the business - the variety is excellent. You get to see what a whole range of departments are working on. I currently lead eight project managers running trials within our clinical operations team.

I have two beautiful young children and health is very important to me and my family. My father-in-law was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s-Lymphoma about 12 years ago. He was able to be treated at the time and has been in remission for over ten years and is healthy and disease-free. When you personally see the impact of treatments, it becomes a part of who you are and makes you realise even more what we’re all working for.

Outside of Roche, I’m very community-minded. I really enjoy being with family and friends, but also attending special events and meeting people that can inspire you. Being a people-person, you want to look after those around you – and at Roche, we all are, and I’ve seen first-hand how powerful that can be.”