Johan Gullberg, Project Manager
Four quick facts about Johan:
Works with at APL
Project Manager.
Education
Master of Chemical Engineering from Faculty of Engineering, Lund University.
Favourite animal
Tortoise. I have a tortoise named Waldemar, who is 54 years old!
Favourite destination
All of USA, and California is No 1.
Hello Johan! How long have you worked for APL?
Since 2005, so just over 12 years.
Why did you choose the pharmaceutical sector?
After secondary school and military service, I saw an advertisement for a job at a small, newly-started biotechnology company. I started there, and I also
met my wife there! I sometimes think that, if I had seen another advertisement, what would life have been like then? After a break during university studies, it has just been pharmaceuticals all the time.
What is an average working day for you?
There are a lot of meetings, emails, customer calls, minutes and reports to be read and written. The interruptions consist of business travel in Sweden and abroad, or various types of training.
What is the most interesting part of your work?
The role as a project manager is optimal, as you are there when things happen.
For example, you can develop a project from a drawing to a factory. Once the
project is completed, I can say goodbye and let the line organisation take
over. I like that.
What is the most challenging feature of your job?
Sometimes it can be a challenge to make other people equally committed throughout the project. It can be difficult to satisfy external customers completely, as we have public authority decisions and internal guidelines that must also be complied with.
What do you enjoy about APL?
I really like the company as such; people here are not just concerned how things are financially; they also really look after the individuals who work here. And then the team I work with is wonderful. And the customers are also really nice!
What type of person do you think would enjoy working at APL?
Oh, that’s a hard question. But if you consider the project manager role in particular, then of course you have to have a driving force and like change. Project managers are sometimes called mini-MDs, because you really have to make the whole project and the budget work in the end.
Where is APL going?
APL has gone from being a state-run production department at Apoteket AB to being well on the way to becoming a modern pharmaceutical company. That is quite some journey we have made, and will be doing!
Do you have any tips for newly graduated persons?
I really think they should apply for a job here. APL is just the right size; you can work with lots of different things here. You see more aspects, and more in-depth, than with bigger companies. If you start working at Ericsson or IKEA, you usually only get to work with a very small piece of the cake. You can always specialise later, I think.
