Travel, New Acquaintences, and Sad Realizations

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Photo by SB

I got back from my four night trip to the UK on Thursday. On the flight home I thought about what I would write and nothing came to me. For eleven hours I searched for something from my quick excursion and there was nada to find. I was feeling sad about what I had discovered on the trip.

The large biotech I work for was swallowed up by a much larger european pharmaceutical earlier this year. They say they are combining the best attributes of both corporations. That is only lip service. They are going to assimilate us and we will become part of their soulless corporation.

My old company was not perfect, but it had a very unique soul. We always focused on the patient and cared about quality, innovation, and many other areas to help the patient. Yes, we made money from our products and that was important, but we, as a group, always knew the patient's health was our drive and motivation. Sadly though, the new corporation does not have that and is already starting to eradicate it from our culture. In a recent industry article, the experts estimated that within 5 years the unique culture of my old company will be gone. Needless to say, I am feeling pretty apathetic about the new situation.

From 1960-1991, my uncle worked for several large pharmaceuticals. Despite the number of different companies he worked for, he never quit and took another job. Each new employer came with an acquisition, take over, or merger. He told me I was lucky if I could go 15 years without this happening. I made it almost 10 years. As he said, "When the farmer sells his land, the farm workers go with it. Do your job and don't expect much from the new owners."

I flew to London to meet my new peers and leaders. My glimmer of hope came from meeting my new counterparts. They are good people. They are nervous too. When we first met, we stepped very carefully around topics, but by the end, we started to share common ground. I am glad I had this experience since I have to give an executive presentation at the end of September with one of my new peers.

After ten years of working for a truly great employer, I am sad to lose that unique environment. Maybe I have to look at this situation like a favorite tv series. The series had a good run and now it is time to end it. That may be true for my career in this industry as well. Maybe it is about time to wrap up it up, prepare for the next one, and then shut off the lights. I need a job I care about and believe in. I think art is the next one. Time to prepare for that.