Roche Employee Association Interview with Michael Hofmann

I meet Michael in the cafeteria of Building 2 so we could interview each other. We are both eager to find out how the other spent the weekend and how we have been doing since becoming AVR site representatives. We start our exchange with a very good cup of coffee.

Michael, how are you today?
I'm fine, I had a nice weekend in Ludwigsburg near Stuttgart, where we visited my partner's family and explored the Fairy-Tale garden at Baroque in Bloom with her two little nephews.

How did you get to Roche and when did you start here?
Smiles - I started at Roche in May 2019 and was just lucky enough to get to know the company before the pandemic. I moved to Basel from the Rhine-Main area and live not far from the Roche area Basel. I feel very much at home here and Basel is a beautiful city. My very first experience at Roche, however, was in 2012, when I was accepted as an intern for six months. I knew I'd like to come back here.

What does your daily job at Roche look like?
I studied pharmacy in Frankfurt and am a scientist specialising in biopharmaceuticals and pharmacokinetics. In my department, we are investigating when, how much and how quickly drugs are absorbed in the body and how to develop the dosage form to produce the desired effects. Happy - If I have time, I can also do laboratory work myself. The mix with the laboratory work, on the computer, at meetings and now in the AVR makes my daily work exciting and diverse.

What do you value about the AVR and what is important to you as a site representative?
On the AVR team itself, I value the fact that many people from different departments and backgrounds come together with the common goal of supporting employees. This diversity is very enriching, both in terms of the subject matter and at a personal level. As a local representative, I think it is important to support people both in my work environment and in other areas. I am very helpful, a good observer and have a good instinct for when things change. For the company to do well, people must also do well.

Last but not least, Michael, what words would your colleagues use to describe you?
Laughs - If you were to ask my colleagues, they would tell you I'm: Helpful, polite, friendly, thoughtful, understanding and proactive.

I would like to thank Michael for the pleasant interview and look forward to our further collaboration.

Interview conducted by Loredana Dattilo, Site Representative for Basel