Meet André Neves, Lead Production Supervisor, Production (Liquids & Antibiotics)!

ACADEMIA AND MOTIVATION
I am married and have two children, a girl and a boy, twins, who are 13 years old. My background is in the field of mechanics, having completed secondary education in that field. During my teenage years, I was far more dedicated to football than to my studies. Football was my great passion, and my dream was to become a professional player. At 18, I signed a professional contract with Futebol Clube Tirsense. It was a source of enormous pride to represent the club from my hometown. After around six years, I decided to leave football as a profession when the opportunity arose to join Bial. Since then, football has become a hobby, a decision I can confidently say was the right one.

WHY BIAL?
This year marks 24 years since I became a Bialer; time has gone by so quickly that it feels like it was only yesterday that I joined this fantastic team. The pharmaceutical industry was something new to me. I knew it was one of the most demanding industries, but I was curious to understand how medicines were made, especially tablets (even today, tablet compression is the stage that fascinates me the most), and that was one of the reasons why I accepted the challenge. I joined as a production operator and, when I had only been working for a few months, the antibiotics production supervisor retired, so I ended up taking on some of his tasks. It was a challenge for me, but also an opportunity for professional growth, and I always liked learning. Later, I had the chance to progress in my career, first as an assistant technical preparer and then as a production supervisor, a role I still hold today. I feel very satisfied with the job I do. I really enjoy interacting with other people, and I also like sharing the knowledge I have acquired over the years. It’s something that makes me feel good.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO WORK AT BIAL?
In Production, we hold weekly planning meetings and daily meetings with the operational team. It is always a challenge, as we set ambitious yet achievable goals so that products are delivered with the required quality and on the expected date. At times, unforeseen situations occur that may affect the achievement of these goals (e.g., equipment breakdowns, delays in the delivery of raw materials or components, and absenteeism). These unforeseen events can compromise the entire production chain, making it necessary to revise the production plan as quickly as possible so that all available resources are used, thus minimising the impact of adverse events. It is important that we all stay focused and motivated; only then is it possible to achieve the objectives. The biggest challenge is motivating and challenging the team so that everyone can give their best, working together, because only in this way is it possible to have a winning team. The two most memorable moments for me since I have been at Bial were, without a doubt, participating in the company’s centenary (fewer than 1% of companies worldwide reach this milestone) and receiving marketing authorisation for our first medicine, a very important moment for consolidating the company’s growth. Another significant moment was the relocation of the antibiotics area in 2022, which involved stopping production for about half a year. We were able to guarantee the necessary stock levels and start production in a brand-new unit, built from scratch in almost record time. It is something I, and the entire team, are very proud of. I am very happy with the production team I am part of, because I feel that others trust me and my work, and when that happens, it becomes easier to achieve our goals, because it is the people who make companies successful, and our team is an excellent example of that.