Astrid Fremau joined Flen Health about three (3) years ago. She was recently promoted to Medical Affairs Manager. Learn more about how her journey started and what drives her motivation.

Tell us a bit about yourself (background, hobbies, …).

About one year and a half ago, my partner Ward and I bought a house in a village called Keerbergen - a wonderful, forested place. Keerbergen is about a 30 to 40-minute drive from everywhere; Brussels, Leuven, Mechelen, and even our office in Kontich. 

I am a Bioscience Engineer. I studied for five years in Leuven (together with Marie Van der Gucht from our R&D team). After these five years in Leuven, I went to the Antwerp Management School to do a full-time Master’s in Management, which included courses on Strategic Management, Financial Management, Marketing & Sales Management, Innovation Management and so on. Super cool to do!

One of my hobbies is playing frisbee - yes, that is a sport, and it is called Ultimate Frisbee. It is intense and a great team sport. Next to Ultimate Frisbee, I have recently started playing padel. I play the piano once in a while, and I am an ex-Scout. The latter implies that during the summer, I can be found with the whole Scouts group somewhere on a meadow, with our tents, surrounded by cows, in the Ardennes.

How did your journey at Flen Health start?

After I spent that year in Antwerp, I was asked to start a PhD at the University Hospital, so I moved back to Leuven. That was pre-clinical research on lung infectious diseases. The first months of that PhD were interesting. But after almost one year, my days consisted of imaging anaesthetized mice in a small CT scanner, from 08h00 until 20h00. After spending more than 300 hours with them, I can tell you - as a professional - mice did not talk back, unfortunately.

My energy level, slowly but steadily, decreased, and the loneliness went the opposite direction: I decided to quit the PhD after one year and four months, which was a very hard decision to make. But from where I am now, I believe it is one of the best decisions I have made so far on a professional level.

Around that time, I came across an open position listed for a company called Flen Health. I was curious about it because like 99% of the Belgian population, my first reaction when reading Flen Health was, 'huh, what company?' Then you learn, 'Ah, it is the company behind Flamigel®.' Because, of course, a big percentage of people in Belgium know Flamigel®. And so, due to my curiosity and being a great fit with the team members, (starting with those I met during my interviews and others like Kristine Vanlinthout), I began my journey at Flen Health!

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?

Curious. I am curious from the morning until the evening. Asking plenty of questions to know the ‘why’ behind something is in many ways a good thing; however, for my close colleagues it is sometimes, let’s say ‘exhaustive’. But do not worry since we are still a wonderful team together!

What drives your motivation?

Let me tell you a story about something that happened two weeks after I joined Flen Health. I had a conversation with the mother of a very good friend of mine. She is also a General Practitioner for more than 25 years. When I told her that I had joined Flen Health with the products Flamigel® and Flaminal®, she said to me, 'Astrid, in wound care, that is the best company you could have selected. These products are not just great, they mean a world of difference for so many patients.' She said it was a great choice and wished me good luck.

Since that conversation, I have had many more conversations with clinicians with a similar message. Hearing such things from these field experts is a key aspect that drives my motivation.

What has been your personal greatest success story (proudest moment) in the last three (3) years at Flen Health?

That is a difficult question. I think for me, it is a lot of small successes together that are making me feel proud. In the Medical department, one of our key responsibilities is training new staff and/or giving updated training to current staff. For example, in the case of our sales representatives, when I have trained them extensively on our products, or our (pre)-clinical papers, and so on, it is so rewarding to see and hear them a couple of months later, talking to clinicians with confidence regarding the topics we covered. I believe that is what makes me proud the most.

Is it important to you to make an impact in your day-to-day life and at work? How so?

YES! (In capital letters). It is crucial. Is it not this what we, human beings, need to drive us forward?

Now, the fortunate thing is that here, at Flen Health, we all make an impact: every single day, and in every single department. In the Medical department, for example, we are closely involved with Clinical, Sales, Marketing, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, R&D and so on, but also with our healthcare professionals and our patients.

Perhaps, to make it more concrete, I will tell you a short and very recent example: Eddy (a Belgian resident) called me last week to tell me about his 94-year-old mother. After trying at least 15 different products, only Extracalm® was able to make the unbearable itch of his mother bearable for a couple of hours. So, after discussing with Eddy a few things about Extracalm®, he asked me whether we might still have one spare bottle for his mother, as he could not find it in the pharmacy anymore. This was almost an impossible question (with the stock issues, etc). With the support from Kelly Van der Aa and the whole Belgian sales team, we were able to help the mother of Eddy. It may seem small, but that is what I call making an impact and we did it as a team.

In the past 20 years, Flamigel® went from zero to hero and today is a market-leading skin healing product in countries like Belgium. Considering new markets (i.e. the US), how do you see the evolution of our products (medical devices to biopharma)?

We stay close to the healthcare professionals, and we stay close to the patients. We do not always need to talk, sometimes we just need to listen. Listening to our customers is very important and that is what we do. That is what made us a hero and that is what will ensure that we keep on growing, every single day.

What advice do you have for young talents that are getting ready or are preparing themselves to go into the field of medicine, clinical or pharmaceutical for that matter?

That is a good question. I would say: dare to ask questions and make sure to believe in your own capabilities. Also, and that is important for everyone, I believe in communicating with colleagues from your/other departments. At certain moments, it is valuable to take a step back and ask yourself, ‘Why did this person react the way he/she did?’ When you can answer that question, it will [for sure] strengthen your future collaborations with this specific person.

Any final comments?

Working at Flen Health for the past three years has been with ups and downs. I am not going to pretend that there were no challenging periods. Now, what is and always has been important to me is that the sum of the drained energy and the energy gained from the work I have done is and remains positive.

My final-final comment then: Thank you, Jorge, for taking the time for this interview. I appreciated it!

Thank you, Astrid!

Now, it is your turn to write your own success story at Flen Health!

Gilles Brackman joined Flen Health over 6 years ago. Currently, he is the VP of Research & Development, Quality Assurance, and Regulatory Affairs. Learn more about how his journey started and what drives his motivation.

Tell us a little bit about yourself (background, hobbies, …).

I live close to Ghent in Belgium with my partner Daphne and our French Bulldog. I am a pharmacist with an Executive Master’s in Business administration and a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Microbiology) and have a big interest in everything that has to do with innovation management and strategy. I would consider myself a lifelong learner, both in my professional life and from a personal point of view. I love to travel, go for walks, and experience new cultures, and places and discover new things. I like experimenting in my vegetable garden and enjoy a game of golf when I still have some time, which unfortunately is not always the case.

How did your journey at Flen Health start? And what was it about the company that attracted you?

Before I joined Flen Health, I was developing patented technologies and doing fundamental and applied research on novel therapies for infectious and inflammatory diseases. For one of these innovations, and while looking for commercial partners also in the field of wound care, I came in contact with Flen health and Philippe Sollie. Initially, we started discussing the technology and exploring potential routes for commercialisation, yet at a certain point, these conversations also involved why Flen Health was created and how the innovative technologies at Flen Health were also built from our own research. Especially at a certain moment, I think that there was a kind of match both in terms of what we have been doing before as well as in a vision and strategy for the future in this field. So, instead of licensing the technology, Philippe asked me whether I would join Flen Health and build an R&D department. So, I started on the 1ste of August 2016 and after initially successfully setting up a Research and development structure, the opportunity came to further build and futureproof also the activities of our Quality and Regulatory departments.

I must admit, that after our initial conversations on our company’s vision, which was the reason I started 6 years ago, today I still enjoy developing this vision further. One which is becoming more and more visible.

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?

I would say innovative, mainly because in R&D, as well as in life, nothing is certain. You are thinking about ideas around solving an unmet need in a way that might be difficult to imagine and by applying technologies and methods that sometimes have not fully been created or validated. So, there is sometimes little to build on and the solution is sometimes very conceptual to imagine. So, I think all these elements expect that you are innovative. In the way that you imagine a vision around an idea as well as around the opportunities present to put the idea into reality. Even if this road to development might not be clear or established, you are innovative enough to already use what is present in such a way that it may fit a purpose. Perhaps, it might not have been built for that purpose, but you are innovative enough to see the plausible opportunities.

If you look at, let's say in the last 20 years, my studies while doing my PhD, the research and technologies developed before and while joining Flen Health, they are full of examples where I had a goal in mind and not necessarily a clear path or opportunity present to obtain it. And where a lot of insights were created by stepping outside the specific fields, even when these initially were being questioned. So together with the lifelong learning aspect, I like to change the unknown against the odds. And I think that is why I say that I am innovative. It requires a kind of mindset to do this.

What drives your motivation?

If you think about everything that we just said, I think it is being impactful with a purpose. I am motivated by working on challenges that can change someone's life. It's a kind of sense of accomplishment to know that you have developed something, or you change something that positively impacted people’s lives. Think about all the innovations that were developed at Flen Health and how they provide a solution for an unmet need of people suffering from infectious and inflammatory diseases. When we look back at the treatments being used and can say that you were able to contribute to these helping a patient get better, I mean for me, that's all about being impactful and that's really what motivates me now as well as motivates our team.

What has been your personal greatest success story (proudest moment) in the last six (6) years at Flen Health?

At first sight, there might be a lot to choose from. We have been setting up (from scratch) research facilities, have secured funding grants, were able to win competitive collaborations in the US and had our R&D activities already leading to the first new patents and the new product developed in years. Yet, thinking about this, if I am honest, what I am most proud of is that I have created a wonderful team of like-minded people. As well as a structure to be innovative, to be curious, do what they love to do, make mistakes, feel OK and learn from it and at the same time, be very efficient in what they are doing. If I need to pick one aspect, that sums it up for me.

Is it important to you to make an impact in your day-to-day life and at work? How so?

Well, I think I already said that being impactful is a key motivator, a key driver. So, on that question, is it important for me to make an impact, yes. And especially in the type of work that we are doing. If you do not feel an impact with what you are doing, then you miss the purpose of why you are doing it. In our day-to-day activities, it should always be in our minds - the idea we are doing this to change somebody's life by developing cures that are currently not present.

I know that seeing that final impact might not always be that easy, especially in R&D where it takes years before these products come to the market. Yet, this makes it even more important to have that realization that your day-to-day activities can make an impact right away and each day is an opportunity to get closer to your goal. Finding a new insight by doing the right analysis, conducting new experiments, and talking to patients to understand their unmet needs. I think that being aware that even with these small things you have the opportunity to maybe change someone’s life in 10 years, is exactly the impact that you could feel day-to-day when being in R&D. But that is my opinion.

In the past 20 years, Flamigel® went from zero to hero and today is a market-leading skin healing product in countries like Belgium. From your perspective, how is Flen Health innovating the medical device market with our current wound and skin healing solutions?

First of all, we have a unique set of products in the way they can provide solutions to unmet needs. Based on the feedback we are getting, if you have a wound that does not heal with most of the products on the market, it's usually able to heal with ours. And although there are so many products on the market for wound care. Their activity and safety are only one of the features that make them stand out. People should not have to worry about the use of it at home. For many products, we must consider side effects and the application needs to be done in a specific way. With our line of products and the way that they are innovatively based on the combination of ingredients: it is not only the enzyme system, or the alginate, it's a combination of the substrates of the alginate of the enzymes all in one. This combination allows the user not to worry about the treatment.

Secondly, it is like that in every new market that we go into with our products. The feedback that we get is that there are no similar products out there. Even in the US, which I believe, is one of the leading markets or the leading market in the world, there is no such product available. And this is a leading market in the world, seen as one of the most innovative ones. Yet, if we present Flaminal® to this market, it would be unique and innovative.

What makes them stand out is that most other products rely on one or a few features; a specific ingredient or a specific indication or application. For me, what makes our products like Flaminal® innovative is that it's not just one aspect, but a combination of all the aspects brought together. It's innovative in the type of ingredients and the combination in which they are used. It's innovative in the fact that from a user perspective its use is very versatile, and so are the indications. At the same time, it's also innovative in terms of the results that you obtain on different types of wounds. If this is not an indication of its innovativeness, then what is?

What advice would you give to young talents as they prepare to go into the field of Research and Development?

In terms of advice, only looking at what worked well for me and what enabled me to grow as a person, and as a professional, would be that first of all, follow your passion and your purpose. Follow what motivates you, because in R&D you will come across challenges, and even if you are successful, timelines are very long before you have your product on the market. So first and most important, find out what motivates you. Find your passion. Whether it's diseases or indications or something else like the type of technology, follow your passion because that same passion will drive you through also the difficult moments that you may experience within your research. The second aspect would be to not settle too quickly for a status quo and to try out things. Do not be afraid to challenge yourself or be faced with (your) limits. Because it's only by challenging yourself to do new things, trying and learning about topics you might not be experienced in and constantly learning from this that you will be able to grow, but also to do research and development and innovation. You cannot do innovation by doing the same thing, In the way that it was done before by people that have already done it. So, that's the second word of advice that I would give because I think if you combine that passion with the kind of lifelong learning aspect where you are not afraid to take risks and challenge yourself and you then find a company or a manager or people that will support you in developing these skills. Well then, I can tell you, you will be in for an exciting ride.

Any final comments?

I joined Flen Health six years ago because there was a clear match between on one side my background experiences and my vision, drive to make a difference, learn, grow and innovate and on the other side the vision of Flen Health. I am grateful to be able to further develop that vision, to develop new insights, new research, and new products together with a great team of people in the last six years. I am excited to see all the developments and research that we have been working on in the past six years, truly coming to the market and truly making a difference in people's lives.

Thank you, Gilles, for sharing your experience with us.

Now, it is your turn to write your own success story at Flen Health!

Anna started working for Flen Health about 10 months ago as the Legal & Compliance Manager. Learn more about how her journey started and what drives her motivation.

Tell us a little bit about yourself (background, hobbies, …).

What would be interesting, perhaps, is to tell you a little bit about everything.

I am 37, and I have a small family of my own: a husband and a child of a year and a half. We live in Brussels. It has been about 5.5 years since I moved to Belgium from Ukraine. I moved for family reasons, as my husband is Belgian.
 
Professionally, I am a lawyer. With such a background, moving between countries and staying on the same track is a bit of a challenge. So, career-wise it was not easy for me to start here. First, I joined the European Commission and worked there for the Anti-Bribery Office. Then, after two other companies, I joined Flen Health. For me, all of this was a big career turn. 

Back in Ukraine, I worked for about 10 years in different law firms; very focused on legal issues, if I may say so. Since I moved to Belgium, I have been mostly with the business working as what they call an in-house lawyer. The culture is different, and the scope is broader, and I figured out that working in business means lifetime learning. 

Lifetime learning is something that I am most passionate about, rather than biking, doing other sports, or whatever. And, I love learning languages. I probably have learned, throughout my life, up to 10 different languages (Chinese, Latin, German, Spanish, and French among them). Of course, I do not speak all of them today. My native is Ukrainian and Russian, and I freely speak English and Dutch. 

My husband just bought me a ukulele. So, once I sort out a bit my workload at Flen Health, I am going to start the ukulele classes. I graduated from a music school when I was a teenager, so I know musical grammar, just never played the ukulele in my life.

How did your journey at Flen Health start?

When I moved to Belgium, I started looking for opportunities in business. The company that I eventually joined was a medical device manufacturer. I loved working there, and I immediately felt connected to the industry. Approximately at the same time, new medical device regulations were adopted in Europe – a lot of new information and requirements which everyone had to learn. And I had to learn anyway (as I moved from Ukraine to Belgium) so that was a match, as well. 

A few years later, I received an offer from another company. It was a different industry, but the role was too interesting to turn down the offer. I changed and I enjoyed that work too, yet I had this feeling that I wanted to go back. Then, somebody contacted me for Flen Health – a company active in the medical device industry.

In the beginning, I did not know Flen Health, I must admit. So, I had to do some research. I read about its products, the story from the CEO – it is a very nice story! Of course, the role content was appealing, and also the fact that I would be leading a department, that I would be given quite some freedom, but also quite a lot of responsibility. I accepted the offer, and I am very happy about it. 

So, that is how I started at Flen Health about 10 months ago now.

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?

Meticulous.

I am very attentive to details. Sometimes it is good, but sometimes it is not. I think that my profession has made me meticulous; at least partially I attribute it to the profession. Law professors would always say that the devil is in the details. They would also always require that we read a law, a document, or a contract from the 1st letter until the last full stop; especially, what is written in small letters. At least in my experience, the idiom has proven to be right on many occasions. 

What drives your motivation?

I would say it's curiosity and change.

Generally, I am very curious. I have always been asking questions. As the years go by, I have noticed that I even start becoming curious about things that previously were of no interest to me, such as finance. 

For the change, I would probably need to explain a bit more. My husband had a great impact on me as my concerns change. He has a background in continuous improvement. At home, we are talking a lot about added value and waste (waste of resources, energy, …). In a world where we have to perform so many tasks daily (much more than, for example, our parents did 40 years ago), at some point in time, you need to start filtering what you are doing or how you are doing it. Quite often I see that you can improve your work, and even your personal life, by either not doing things that you are used to doing, but do not bring any added value or very little added value, or by changing things or doing them more effectively. That is what I mean when I say that change drives my motivation.
 

What has been your personal greatest success story (proudest moment) in the past year at Flen Health?

I am fairly young to Flen Health, not yet even ten months here. I think my proudest moment is yet to come. At the same time, at Flen Health, I have met many brilliant and bright people with whom I have been able to establish a good working and open relationship. I have a feeling that people do not hesitate to reach out to me, which was my vision for the legal department. Today, this is the achievement that I am proud of.

Is it important to you to make an impact in your day-to-day life and at work? How so?

Yes, absolutely. For me, impact does not have to change the lives of millions. If I was able to change for the better the life of one person, that is already an achievement. If I was able to help one person, that is already an achievement. These days I am also trying to find a good balance between my busy work, my life, and my young child, and also help Ukrainians who come to Belgium, at least, by providing them with information about life here or things they need. 

If we are talking about the impact at the company level, I see the role of the legal department in supporting business, enabling the business to work in a compliant way, but also in an effective manner. Sometimes, this requires out-of-the-box solutions, new tools, as well as instructing colleagues. I hope my department provides that, at least I am working in that direction. 

In the past 20 years, Flamigel^® went from zero to hero and today is a market-leading skin healing product in countries like Belgium. From the legal perspective, what are some challenges that we could potentially deal with as we prepare to enter new markets? 

When entering a new market, if we speak about legal challenges, the legal challenge is always the same – you do not know the local laws and practices, what is allowed, and what is not. It can become quite a challenge because you might have to live with some level of uncertainty for a while, experience delays, or even make mistakes. If we are talking for example the United States, this is also a completely different legal system. And this is true for any product, not only Flamigel® but also Flaminal® and any other product of Flen Health that we want to introduce in a new market. We will have to learn a lot as we go, and we will have to consult local advisors of course.

Do you have any advice for the young talents graduating in a time marked by an ongoing pandemic?

My first advice to young people is: do not be afraid. Today, I am telling my success story, but I have also been a graduate once. I also came to my first employer knowing nothing. I knew some theories that were taught at the university, but that is where it stops quite often. Dare to win! 

The second piece of advice, perhaps a more philosophical one is to question yourself. Everyone, I believe, is sometimes wrong, including ourselves. And there is nothing bad in being wrong. There is nothing bad in changing your opinion because sometimes you may just come across new information. I do believe that questioning yourself is the right thing to do. It allows us to grow and learn. The more we learn, the more we know. Do not be afraid to question yourself.

Any last comments?

I am very happy to be part of Flen Health, and I am thankful for the opportunity to be part of this team. I am also very grateful to the people who contacted me for my current role, for they found me. It was my lucky day. I hope that every Flenner and everyone who is still to join Flen Health feels the same.

Thank you, Anna!

Now, it is your turn to write your own success story at Flen Health!

Andy started working for Flen Health almost 6 years ago. He has seen the growth of some of our products in the UK market. Learn more about how his journey started and what drives his motivation.

Tell us a little bit about yourself (background, hobbies, …).

I live just outside of Manchester, in the UK. I live with my long-term partner and two children; Ellie is 13 and Harrison is 6. I have had a military background; I spent, in total, the best part of 13 years within the British military, mainly spent in the Marines. My hobbies include going to the gym, cycling, and going to watch my football team, which is Manchester United. Other than that, I enjoy my family time and spending time with my friends.

How did your journey at Flen Health start?

OK. So, previous to working with Flen Health, I worked for a company called Crawford which distributed Flaminal® in the UK. I always enjoyed talking with the clinicians about Flaminal®, and the opportunity arose from basically, more than a couple of colleagues, but a couple of the senior management from Crawford who were moving to Flen Health to take Flaminal® and launch Flen Health UK. And I was very lucky that I was chosen or asked to be one of those people to move over to Flen Health, and from that point on, 1st of June, 2016, I became a Flenner. I started as a Territory Business Manager (TBM) in the northwest area of the UK, along with six other colleagues that had come over from Crawford. And then, three other colleagues that had started the business from outside of medical devices.

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?

Focused. I think this would be the word I would use and the reason for that is that I am quite dedicated to my job and I focus on many aspects of my work. So, the end result is the big thing, but not just the end result, it is also ensuring that I focus on the well-being of my team. The happiness of my team and ensuring that we focus on the purpose of Flen Health, which is obviously to help patients live the life they love. Also, to help the clinicians who in turn will help the patients to do just that.

What drives your motivation?

My motivation is driven by a vision and our purpose at Flen Health, to improve outcomes for patients. I do not want to say it sounds cheesy, however, after having dealt with it first hand and for example, my father being poorly and subsequently passing away, the motivation to make sure that the patient has the best possible care is what drives me mainly. Other than that, I'm motivated to be the best I can be, and I do like to be up there. Also, I am quite competitive. That is me; that is the wider team within the UK and then, that is even the wider team with Flen Health. So, my motivation would be to be the best we can be and be motivated to help each patient live a better life.

What has been your personal greatest success story (proudest moment) in the past 5 years at Flen Health?

My proudest moment, I think, would have been a team moment and it would have been the way that we performed as a UK team during the first year of Covid-19. To have our products put onto a national formulary for Nightingale hospitals, and just the general performance with the team going above and beyond at every single point in the year 2020, during the height of Covid-19.

Is it important to you to make an impact in your day-to-day life and at work? How so?

Yes, it is really important. Every day we wake up and in our personal lives and our work-life, if we don't make a positive difference in that day, then we have not achieved anything and it is been a wasted day. And so, for me, it is really important that I can positively impact. Not just any impact, a positive impact on my team, a positive impact on the performance of Flen Health and a positive impact on my family. So that is instilling good characteristics within my children. It is being a good father. It is been a good partner, and I am making sure that I am a positive role model; at work, as a manager to the team, and at home, as a father and a partner. So, making sure I am always a positive role model.

In the past 20 years, Flamigel® went from zero to hero and today is a market-leading skin healing product in countries like Belgium. How do you see the expansion of our products in markets like the UK / Ireland?

So, in terms of the expansion of our products, Flaminal® is currently a market leader in the UK, in terms of antimicrobials. The expansion I would see is with Flaminal® Hydro into the acute setting. The expansion of Flamigel® RT is still there. In the coming months and years, we aim to be the number one radiotherapy product in the UK with Flamigel® RT. Then, the expansion of products such as extracalm® and, potentially, Flamerins® into the UK. For Ireland, we are a brand-new affiliate in Ireland, so we have only been live since April. Flaminal® is a new product and we aim, again, to become the market leader in our category in Ireland. And then, expand with Flamigel® RT for radiotherapy patients in Ireland.

Do you have any advice for the young talents graduating in a time marked by an ongoing pandemic?

If I was to give a young person advice, particularly committing to sales, I would say: believe in the product; believe in the company and trust your managers and mentors. And also, believe in yourself.

Any last comments?

I suppose the other thing I would say is that since I joined, nearly six years ago, every day has been different. I love working for Flen Health. I love the ethos and I love working with the team, and I am excited to see where we go in the future.

Thank you, Andy!

Now, it is your turn to write your own success story at Flen Health!

Kristine started working at Flen Health 18 years ago and knows that key for growth is the will to proceed by taking initiatives. Let`s find out what gratitude has to do with her greatest motivation:

Can you describe yourself in one sentence?

A hands-on person with a preference for communication, messaging, visualisation, and organisation. I'm quite an integer person and like to work in a team.

How did you find your way to Flen?

That was already more than 18 years ago (time flies) which we just celebrated at the office. After some first work experiences, especially in the media, I joined Flen where I could apply these skills in daily practice. The innovative products in the wound care setting appealed to me, as well as being part of a company in full growth thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit of its founder.

What makes you love your job?

Make a brand big and thanks to good products this is a very rewarding job to do. Also, the varied work and being in constant exchange with consumers, healthcare professionals (HCPs) and colleagues. What gives me great motivation is the positive feedback from grateful patients.

Is making an impact with your work important to you?

Yes, this is what not only drives me but all of us at Flen. Being proud to help and educate people in healing their skin and wounds. Helping people live the life they love is not only a motto, it’s what I implement on a daily basis in my job.

In the past 20 years Flamigel^® went from zero to hero and is today a market leading skin healing product in Belgium. What was your part in it?

It’s nice to be part of this story as from the beginning. Initially, I played a more overall role in the company but settled finally in the marketing department. Here, I developed e.g. the Flamigel^® marketing material for HCPs and end consumers (OTC/DTC), plus engaged in trade marketing. 18 years ago, I was the only person in marketing, today we are a 10 members strong team. Turning the product benefits and its working mechanism into a clear message helps to achieve our mission: help people live the life they love!

What was your personal greatest success in the past 18 years at Flen?

All successes are shared successes. Therefore, I don’t consider success as a personal achievement but excellent teamwork. It was great to see how Flen became first a very important leading player in the skin and wound care market in Belgium and meanwhile the company even evolved from a local to an international player with distribution over 30 countries across the world. Being part of all this and playing an active role is my greatest success.

Last but not least, any food for thoughts you could share with us?

Persistence is key :-) and key for growth is the will to proceed by taking initiatives: “Don’t wait for the perfect moment, take the moment and make it perfect!”

Thank you, Kristine for sharing your experience with us.

Now it`s your turn to write your own success story at Flen Health!

Looking for career possibilities during a pandemic can be a challenge for young talents. Cedric took his opportunity when it came around!

Tell us more about yourself and how your journey at Flen Health started?

I am Cédric Van Speybroeck, 23 years old and live in Lievegem, Belgium. A couple of months ago I was still a student in business administration at the University of Ghent. As a part of my master program, I was given the opportunity to do an internship, which started with an exciting idea of going to New York due to previous school programmes. This idea remained just an idea as the pandemic put a lot of restrictions on travel. Therefore, it was not easy for me or any other student to find interesting opportunities. Luckily, I ended up on the phone with Hoai-Anh, the Digital Marketing Manager at Flen Health in summer 2020. She was very passionate about the digital marketing activities planned and I was immediately hooked, I still am!

How was it to begin an internship while a pandemic is going on?

Fortunately, due to less restrictive COVID regulations when I started, I was able to meet with the marketing team during my first two weeks. At least now, I know who is talking to me at the other end of a teams-call. Afterwards, I switched to working remotely, which was a challenge. Luckily, I had some great assistance whenever needed. Going fully digital is not easy, but it is the reality we live in now. We must adapt and make the most out of it. Therefore, I did my best to still be of value towards Flen Health and make sure my school assignments were as good as they can be. For example, I experienced a week of very late hours for preparing a presentation on my internship performance, practicing it repeatedly until it was perfect. This ended up with very positive feedback from university and an email in my inbox talking about an opportunity at Flen Health. I certainly took that opportunity!

Was it difficult for you to switch from your study focus Commercial Management to your new intern role in Digital Marketing?

In terms of activities, it is not that different. During my master, I had a lot of group assignments and practical information. Therefore, I was well prepared, but it is a big change non the less. The corporate mentality, fixed working hours, corporate etiquette, internal communication, … These are all things I had to learn how to deal with. Because as a student, the way you work is quite different.

So, you don`t regret taking a deep dive into the digital marketing world?

I do not regret it one bit. I was able to broaden my horizon and experience this technology-driven side of marketing first-hand. As more and more digital applications find their ways into our lives, which is especially accelerated during this pandemic, it is hard to think digital marketing away. Therefore, I think it is valuable for companies as well as for myself to learn, adapt and master this field.

What happened after your internship at Flen Health?

I finished my internship on the 18th of December. After that, I put my full focus on my master thesis. As the deadline came closer, I had to finalise research on sales enablement as well as conclude my results on the lead generation paper. They both turned out great, so I started preparing for my master thesis defence. I defended this on the 29th of January and started my journey at Flen Health as a Digital Marketing Assistant only three days later.

What was your proudest moment as a Flenner, so far?

There are quite a few. The first proud moment I had was during my 2nd week at Flen Health. I was immediately given the opportunity to brief an agency on a future campaign. I greatly appreciated the responsibility I was given and did my upper best to present something meaningful. With some great feedback, I was able to do this successfully. Through this whole journey at Flen Health, I have felt proud for so many things, it is the small wins on a daily/weekly basis that are awesome to experience. To just be a part of this and being able to call myself a Flenner, is something already to be proud of as well!

Is there any Food for thought you can give to young talents that graduate in a time, marked by an ongoing pandemic?

To keep making the most out of it. It is definitely not easy for young people like me to maintain motivated for all of this. I find it personally hard to deal with these life-changing moments that suddenly do not feel that special anymore. I remember receiving my diploma in an email, which felt like receiving a WhatsApp with a “lol” at the end. Nothing changes, no festivities, no real ‘hurray’-moment. But this should not stop us young graduates. The grind is on and we will be able to celebrate these moments later as well. For now, keep on striving for the best version of yourself. Only by doing so, you will get the most out of your given opportunities and will not regret it later. Make sure you have something to celebrate about!

Now it`s your turn to write your own success story at Flen Health!

Tuesday recently joined the team & kindly shares with us her on-boarding experience at Flen Health.

Hi Tuesday, can you please introduce yourself a little?

Of course. My name is Tuesday Lowndes, I will be 29 very soon. I am originally from England but moved over to Luxembourg almost 3 years ago. I have worked previously in the pharmaceutical industry as a quality assurance microbiologist, but I was hired by Flen as an R&D specialist assistant. Covering for the loss of one of the specialist researchers in the Luxembourg lab who is currently on Maternity leave. 

When would you say that your on-boarding started?

I think probably, my first week at Flen. Prior to then I had spoken a little with my hiring manager and HR rep, for interviews and a brief description of the job. But a major part of my on-boarding took place during my first two weeks. The on-boarding was quite intensive, including a lot of specialist presentations lead by the heads of almost every department in Flen. The presentations themselves were really interesting and informed me on every aspect of Flen; from Products, to Quality control, to Marketing in different countries. Everyone was super friendly and open to questions and discussions, both during the presentations and any time after. It was a unique experience as I have never worked in a place where everyone is so easy to contact and welcome to communication. It’s both charming and super useful. 

Good to hear your start at Flen was so positive but still, that sounds like a lot of information you received in your first weeks. Hope it wasn`t too much?

No, the trainings were all very interactive and not too long, which gave us time to discuss questions and take-in all the information. I also did some research on my own before starting at Flen, so I was better prepared for some of the presentations.

A real researcher, I see! How was your first contact with your direct colleagues in the office, face to face?

Really nice. I remember that on my first day, the co-worker who I would train with forgot her badge at home, so the day started with a laugh. Also, because of this, I was introduced to some of the staff in the upstairs office and taken around the communal areas first. I learned that most days, everyone tries to eat lunch together (socially distant of course), which is lovely. Back in the lab, I was given my own working space and introduced to all the equipment they have, which was really cool. There were a few items I had never seen in person. As always, everyone was very friendly and encouraged questions and overall gave off a really welcoming and motivating atmosphere.

You started your new position during Covid restrictions, did you feel “left alone” at any point?

No, not at all. To the contrary – It made things easier: I met my colleagues slowly over time which made it easier to remember names, faces, functions, etc. It also allowed me to get dedicated training and introductions into one of the R&D projects at a time, instead of trying to learn all of them in one go.

Would you say, “on-boarding is successfully completed”?

I think so, yes. The first few weeks were good for getting me up-to speed; groups, managers, sales, products, the works. During this time and after, I worked closely with my team members in the lab, to educate me on their projects and practical’s so that I can assist them moving forward. I am not yet fully versed on all projects, but I am already really invested into 2 projects that I am interested in and supporting with all my time and knowledge. I am excited to progress and to expand my presence into future projects and investigations.

Is there anything you would like to add from your side, anything you missed or that we could do better in on-boarding new Flenners?

I don’t think there was anything really missed by the training. However, I would like to add, Scott, VP International Sales, told me that he hopes the Flen Academy will soon be ready to go. It`s an online platform accessible for all Flenners. This will make the on-boarding even easier and more interactive, I believe. I think it will be a great asset for not only new hires, but also existing personnel that maybe missed out on learning about other sectors and departments within Flen. I am also very thankful for the cute Flamigel first-aid bag that I received, with samples of all Flen Health’s products and fun little gadgets, too. It was an adorable and welcoming gesture.

It was great speaking with you about your first experience as a Flenner. Thank you, Tuesday.

Now it`s your turn to write your own success story at Flen Health!