APOblog

Meet Brad Fewkes, Manager in the Production Technical Department at our North York, Ontario manufacturing site. He leads a team that is responsible for the repair and maintenance of the production equipment that is used to manufacture our products.

We asked Brad about his experience at Apotex and what he looks for in potential candidates.

Describe your journey with the Apotex team.

I have been at Apotex for just over 13 years. I started as a Maintenance Project Leader and then moved into a Maintenance Supervisor role, and then progressed into my current position as a Manager.

What is your role on the production technical team?

As a Manager, my role first and foremost is to support my team by ensuring they have the knowledge and tools they need to succeed in their roles. Together, we are focused on initiating preventative maintenance and equipment upgrade projects that enhance our production operations.  

How does your role connect to our overall purpose of ‘improving access to medicines for millions of patients worldwide by providing affordable, innovative, and high-quality medicines each day?

The work that my team and I do, contributes to a consistent manufacturing process which is critical to ensure an uninterrupted supply of medicines.

What inspired you to join the Apotex team? What has influenced you to stay for almost 13 years?

I was seeking a new opportunity in the technical maintenance field, and thirteen years later the variety of people I work with has had an impact on the reason I am still here. Each person I get to work with knows something that I don’t and vice versa. We are able to learn from each other and be exposed to new knowledge.

How is your team continuing to collaborate during COVID-19?

Things haven’t really changed for my team, we have been onsite and continuing to work. We have implemented shift segregation and additional precautionary measures to ensure our employees’ safety.

What type of roles are you looking to fill on your team?

We’re looking for two Licensed Millwrights to join the Production Technical team. The successful candidates will maintain, troubleshoot, set-up, repair, plan, install and rebuild production equipment.

What growth opportunities does someone have on your team?

There are plenty of development opportunities at Apotex based on your areas of interest. A great example of this is a Supervisor on my team who started with us as an apprentice Millwright. Once he received his Millwright license, he became a full-time Millwright.  After that he became a Coordinator on the team focusing on maintenance planning and from there was able to build the skills to progress into a Supervisor position.

What do you enjoy most about working at Apotex each day?

The camaraderie and interactions that I have with people, the ability to seek guidance and bounce ideas off each other as a team makes coming to work each day more enjoyable. I appreciate the opportunity to collaborate and gain further expertise from my team and peers.   

As a leader, what qualities do you look for in team members or potential candidates?

I look for someone who is a self-starter and uses their insights and perceptiveness to contribute to their role and is self-aware of their knowledge and limits. I also look for someone who has a positive attitude, is friendly, and overall can fit in with the team as we all work towards the same goal and it is important to work together.

What would you say to candidates who are considering applying for a new role at Apotex during COVID-19?

We are here to provide medicines to patients all over the world and that will not stop. Due to the nature of our work we have always had a clean environment and have amplified our safety measures since the start of the pandemic.

Are you looking to join a passionate, innovative team? Explore our open positions. To learn more about roles available at Apotex follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.