Career Moves: Helen Grad

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Expand Our Career Moves series showcases the inspiring stories of individuals who have taken remarkable strides in their careers at Takeda across five career path categories. Helen is a shining example of our Career Move - Expand Venture into Uncharted Territories - Navigate diverse industries and roles to expand your skill set and perspectives. Adaptability and Resilience - Thrive in dynamic environments, embracing change and challenges with an open mind. Unique Perspective - Cultivate versatility and unconventional thinking, emerging as a pioneer with a distinctive outlook. LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CAREER MOVES Describe an experience where you navigated diverse roles at Takeda. How did it broaden your skills? Thankfully, I have been entrusted with incredible opportunities to take on diverse roles both locally and globally. A defining moment in my career was the transition from the Quality organization to Business Excellence—an achievement I hold dear as one of the highlights of my journey. In my Business Excellence role, I proudly joined my colleagues in championing the cultivation of a continuous improvement culture in Los Angeles, focusing on deploying Lean and Six Sigma methodologies, followed by the Round Lake facility. Together, we embarked on the chapter of excellence and innovation. This experience has allowed me to evolve into roles where I have served as a coach, mentor, influencer and team lead. It particularly broadened and strengthened my skills in communication and stakeholder management while also challenging me to enhance my adaptability and flexibility. The role pushed my influencing abilities, equipping me with a rich set of technical skills and a deep understanding of Lean and Six Sigma principles. From starting as an aspiring Kaizen facilitator, I progressed to become a proficient Lean and Six Sigma coach. This journey has not only expanded my professional capabilities but has also enriched my perspective on driving impactful change within an organization. How do you show resilience and adaptability in Takeda's dynamic environment? Resilience and adaptability are essential traits for navigating our environment. I believe in actively seeking , embracing, participating in and even leading change. With every change comes an opportunity for learning and growth, something I've consistently embraced in every role. Operating in a dynamic environment challenges us both personally and professionally. I view every instance of change, no matter its scale, as a chance to enhance agility, persistence, creativity and problem-solving skills. Working across various organizational levels has taught me not just flexibility but adaptability in how I communicate, ensuring my message resonates effectively with different audiences. I strongly advocate for nurturing relationships founded on trust and respect, as they provide crucial support and enable seamless collaboration during periods of change. My advice to others is to approach change with a positive mindset, continually reflect on and improve their responses, actively seek feedback and strive to thrive in evolving circumstances. Share an example of moving between functions at Takeda. What skills did you gain or transfer? After more than a decade in Quality and Regulatory Compliance, I made a shift into Business Excellence, leveraging my vast background to bring a unique perspective to continuous improvement initiatives. I approach these projects through a compliance-focused, risk-based lens, ensuring that we maintain the high-quality standards while enhancing operational efficiency. This method builds trust and reassures my colleagues that I integrate regulatory knowledge into our improvement efforts, emphasizing my commitment to effective, compliant enhancements across the organization. I specialized in Lean, Six Sigma and Organizational Change Management, refining my skills to adapt best practices across diverse sites within our network. Collaborating across departments and sites enriched my understanding of manufacturing processes in Plasma and Biologics. Every role and experience has been a catalyst for my personal and professional growth. I regard each opportunity as a precious chance to learn and cultivate new skills. Embracing this mindset has been the cornerstone of my success, fueling a relentless pursuit of new skills and experiences to propel my professional advancement. This journey of continuous learning and growth not only enriches my career but also deeply resonates with my heart and passion for excellence. How do you collaborate with colleagues from various areas to drive innovation at Takeda? Collaborating with colleagues across diverse areas and facilities is vital for enabling innovation within our organization. Firstly, establishing open communication and cultivating relationships throughout the network facilitates knowledge sharing and a deeper understanding of challenges and solutions. Secondly, challenging the status quo promotes creativity by actively seeking diverse ideas to ignite innovation. Encouraging colleagues to think "outside of the box" inspires inventive solutions and uncovers hidden talents that enhance our innovation potential. Lastly, embracing agility and adaptability through coaching and incorporating agile methodologies and Lean Six Sigma elements allows us to innovate effectively in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. By nurturing a collaborative environment that embraces diverse ideas, sets clear objectives and values feedback for continuous enhancement, we cultivate an innovation culture that drives our organization forward. Takeda Career Moves Learn more about career moves Jobs for You Featured jobs Recently viewed jobs Saved jobs Microbiological Analyst, QC, Injection Drug, Osaka Site Quality / 大阪工場 注射剤のQC微生物試験者 Jūsō-honmachi, Japan Category: Quality MCR, SBU, PDT, Dezhou Dezhou, China, Remote Category: Sales (Associate) Medical Director, Shanghai Shanghai, China Category: Clinical Development Senior Maintenance and Utilities Technician (Nights) Lexington, Massachusetts Category: Manufacturing Engineering You have not viewed any jobs yet. You have not saved any jobs yet. 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