Q&A with Lorna Harris
Meet Lorna Harris, Manager, Production Support at our Etobicoke, Ontario facility. She oversees the Documentation Support, Investigations, and Competency Development departments within Production Support.
We asked Lorna about her experience at Apotex and what she looks for in potential candidates.
Describe your journey with the Apotex team.
I started at Apotex as a temporary summer student. Around the time I was graduating from university, a recruiter recalled that I was pursuing my science degree and reached out to see if I was interested in returning after I graduated. The rest is history!
I rejoined the Apotex team as a Documentation Clerk and soon after, was promoted to a SOD Technical Writer. I progressed to an SOD Coordinator and led a six-person team. Approximately four years later, I was presented with the opportunity to become the Supervisor of Master Production and Packaging Documents for our Etobicoke and Richmond Hill facilities. As we continued to grow as an organization, the scope of my role changed to focus on supporting our Etobicoke site where I oversee three departments: Documentation Support, Investigations, and Competency Development.
What do you enjoy most about working at Apotex each day?
The people I get to work with make each day enjoyable. We may not have all the answers and some days can be more challenging than others however, at the core of each day, is a team of individuals that bring their best, take pride in what we do, and assist in helping others succeed. When one of us succeeds, we all succeed.
You are currently looking to fill a Corporate Trainer or Instructor role on your team. What will that person be doing and what qualities do you look for in a potential candidate?
As Apotex embarks on a digital transformation journey, the Competency Development team is looking to evolve our current infrastructure and approach to effective training.
We want to build more dynamic and interactive training styles and modules within our onboarding curriculum, and to establish and sustain ongoing training materials and course offerings for our employees based on critical adult learning behaviors and concepts. The successful candidate will lead initiatives, training, and qualification programs designed specifically for the development of Technicians. I am seeking someone with strong leadership skills, who has knowledge of training and development concepts, as well as experience with adult learning and adult education concepts, behavior engineering concepts, and methods.
As a leader, how do you motivate your team?
I enjoy watching my team members grow, and I encourage them to expand their breadth and depth of knowledge not only of the processes around them but also in surrounding departments. This helps me to see what sparks their interests so I can look for opportunities that build their skillsets within their current roles to support future career development.
You have been with Apotex for 19 years, what has influenced you to stay? What is one thing you would like people to know about working at Apotex?
100% the people! Not just at Etobicoke, but across our global sites. I get to work with great individuals and a leadership team that invests in their talent, which provides opportunity for growth and development.
