Seneca College RED 2020 - 31

A time of great change
Amanda Wong negotiates a tricky year

PHOTO: IAN PATTERSON

AMANDA WONG is

kind of busy right now.
She is the Director, Regulatory Affairs and Country
Lead at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare
ULC. A year ago, GSK and Pfizer decided to combine
their consumer health-care divisions to create the
world's largest over-the-counter business in pain,
vitamin and mineral supplement and therapeutic oral
health products.
As the gargantuan process of amalgamation began,
the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world. The crisis
threw the health-care sector into disarray and also
created unprecedented demand for the consumer
health-care products the two companies had joined
forces to produce.
" You are combining two organizations together as a
result of an integration and creating the largest health
care business worldwide, " Ms. Wong says. " That in
itself is a tremendous milestone. And then you layer on
it a pandemic that results in high demand for our
non-prescription and natural health products. It has
been an interesting time to integrate. "

The challenge is huge and Ms. Wong is helping to
meet it head-on. The Seneca graduate, who fondly recalls being the first valedictorian of the Pharmaceutical
Regulatory Affairs & Quality Operations certificate
program 20 years ago, says Seneca gave her important
technical skills and provided leadership opportunities,
which later helped shape her career.
" I would not have been where I am today, had it
not been for the Seneca program, " Ms. Wong says. " In
the classroom, there were opportunities to lead a team
and to problem-solve, to work collaboratively and
to try to get the best from each other. That type of skill
is something that I still carry today and that's an
important skill to have, even as a senior leader within
the organization. "
The co-op component of her program gave Ms.
Wong a foot in the door to the pharmaceutical industry.
She worked at Apotex Research Inc. during her co-op
term and continued there as a part-time employee
while she completed her second semester at Seneca.
Within four months of graduation, she was hired by
GSK and has been working at the company ever since.
During the last 20 years, Ms. Wong has built a reputation
for successful negotiations with health authorities
and her passion for developing regulatory talent and
company culture.
She also continues to be passionate about the work
Seneca does. Ms. Wong taught part time in the regulatory
program and quite often runs into former students who
are now themselves industry leaders. The experience,
she says, is exhilarating.
" It is on top of my to-do list after retirement. I want
to teach again at Seneca. "

It has been an
interesting time
to integrate.

RED

2020

Seneca College RED 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Seneca College RED 2020