After completing his doctorate, Dr. Christos Panagiotidis decided to move into business. He began his career by setting up a laboratory in a medium-sized company. Due to his extensive experience in various areas, he later switched to the chemical wholesale trade. Since then, he has worked as a Regulatory Affairs Specialist at Univar Solutions GmbH.
In chemical education, an educational film ended with the following sentence: "So you too can become the master of the elements!" Using your hands and mind to create new substances using synthesis methods and to uncover the secrets of nature seemed like fascinating magic to me. Specializing in organic chemistry was the closest thing to this idea and I decided to do this while I was at school in the "Year of Chemistry" in 2003, when I was able to get a taste of the field and working group at university by conducting experiments with fragrant fruit esters. When I studied and did my doctorate, I then became a bioorganic synthetic chemist. Although this is very similar to being a magician, the use of chemistry in the real world is still the most exciting.
The noticeable increase in white hair on my head while writing my dissertation made it clear that I did not want to continue working in academia. A move into business seemed like the only real alternative and with patience, a constant willingness to learn and persistence, the unique opportunity to set up a laboratory for a medium-sized company in the beauty industry opened up. It started with an empty room and ended with successful permanent make-up colors and cosmetics for a professional customer segment. In between there are complex and memorable experiences from purchasing, laboratory management, recipe and product development, packaging design and production to logistics, staff management, Marketing and international trade fair visits.
Absolutely not. We are all on a journey with rivers, valleys and mountains that largely block the view on the horizon. The questions are more: Where are we now? And where can we go from here?
Ultimately, the practical experience I gained with the Tattoo Products Regulation, the Cosmetics Regulation (EU) 1223/2009, the official reporting and labelling requirements and the writing of safety data sheets enabled me to take the next path towards Regulatory Affairs for the chemical wholesale trade. A special area with special requirements in which I am very happy to be involved, but whose existence I was simply not aware of at an earlier point in time.
Customers purchase chemical raw materials from wholesalers and require additional information and manufacturer certificates in accordance with legal requirements and other product certifications. For example, if the detergent bottle in the supermarket is supposed to say "free from animal testing and palm oil", then I am in constant dialogue with our raw material suppliers and provide information along the supply chain. In addition, I fill out comprehensive chemical regulatory customer questionnaires and online platforms. I also coordinate private labels and assess their chemical composition with regard to legal standards and approved applications, including official statements. I also hold internal Europe-wide training courses on industry-relevant compliance topics.
A high level of intercultural communication skills with very good English skills are a basic requirement in large international corporations. You are a highly motivated team player with a customer-, process- and goal-oriented approach.
The Regulatory Affairs profession in particular requires a detail-oriented and careful way of working with a high level of analytical thinking and is similar in its requirements to legal departments and quality management. Experience in scientific literature research is very helpful in understanding constantly revised legal texts and technical standards, which must be summarized and presented appropriately for different groups. Knowledge of project management and self-organization is highly recommended.
It is computer work and can be carried out from the office or from home. Business trips and face-to-face events only take place occasionally. Every day always begins with processing new emails and answering regulatory customer inquiries, which can vary greatly in scope and complexity. I communicate with suppliers and product managers every day. Once a week I exchange personal and professional information with my team leader. My colleagues are spread across Europe and we have regular meetings to divide up work or discuss projects. I plan up to 20% of my working time each day for project activities. Projects can stop for various reasons or tasks have to be rescheduled. As a growing expert in certain topics, you become the company's go-to person at all times.
Practical activities are almost completely eliminated and you are not necessarily tied to a specific location. In contrast to most working groups at the university, large corporations are much more hierarchical, which means that the implementation of new ideas can take longer. In the compliance area, even greater emphasis is placed on traceability of communication, as well as on standard operating procedures (SOPs) and approval processes. Exams are eliminated, but the "tests" remain in the form of KPIs and regular employee meetings.
Useful knowledge from the course includes chemical nomenclature, physical properties, common large-scale industrial manufacturing processes for basic chemicals and the use of safety data sheets and CAS numbers. The doctorate was the start of independent work and cooperation in international projects. I learned project management intuitively without explicitly calling it that.
I am equally enthusiastic about working in the chemical wholesale and regulatory affairs sectors. As the logistical backbone of the chemical industry and a global marketplace, customers from all industries are served with a constantly expanding range of products. That alone is very varied. As a distributor of basic and specialty chemicals, however, I am often dependent on the information provided by our manufacturers, which can block the release of raw materials in accordance with certain applications and regulations. In the chemical compliance sector, you are a professional naysayer and for good reason, because safety and sustainability for people, nature and the environment are non-negotiable. Every certificate shared and every statement makes a meaningful contribution to this.
As my experience increased, I was given more responsible tasks. These included, for example, conducting training courses on topics such as internal policies, ecolabels and revised EU legislation. I was entrusted with the coordination of our own technical brands. Here I evaluate and determine the product and its composition for approval depending on the issue. In addition, there are numerous interdisciplinary projects with other departments.
There is always the opportunity to expand and deepen your knowledge of chemicals law on your own initiative and to prove yourself as an expert through special projects. Participation in industry associations also plays a role here. A long-term move to other compliance areas of the EHSQ is also conceivable. Another option is to move into employee Management . Depending on your personality and skills, a move to sales or technical support is also an option.
The ECHA website is worth taking a close look at, including EU regulations and pollutant databases.
My general application tips always boil down to three aspects:
1. Organization: Depending on the number of employees, the dynamics vary from start-up to large corporation. I recommend starting out with small to medium-sized companies in order to gain broader experience and be open to unfamiliar tasks.
2. Identification: Do I find the social benefit of the end products or services to be meaningful and compatible with my own values? If not, then move on.
3. Function: Would I rather take on many different functions within one industry or one function within many different industries?
Note: For reasons of readability, gender-specific language forms are not used simultaneously. All personal names apply to all genders.
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last modified: 27.11.2024 10:44 H from A.Miller
