Milan Yaksic
Plant Manager, INTI Pharmacy
Leading production at Droguería INTI comes with great responsibility. Which do you consider has been the biggest challenge in taking on the Plant Management role, and how do you manage to maintain the highest quality standards day after day?
The biggest challenge has been achieving the balance between operational efficiency and rigorous compliance with quality standards. In the pharmaceutical industry there is no margin for error: every decision directly impacts people's health.
To maintain high standards, we work on three pillars: well-defined processes, a culture of quality within the team, and permanent data-based control. But above all, on the daily discipline of doing things well, even when no one is watching.
In such a demanding industry as pharmaceuticals, efficiency and continuous improvement are vital. How do you foster innovation within your production team without compromising the safety and tradition of such an established brand?
Innovation in the pharmaceutical industry cannot be disruptive without control; it has to be structured.
In the production area, we foster continuous improvement through small sustained changes: process optimization, use of technology, and data analysis. Every innovation goes through technical validation, regulatory compliance, and ongoing coordination with the quality department
The goal is not to change for the sake of changing, but to improve without compromising the quality or trust built over the years.
As for technology, we always stay up to date through our partners abroad and participation in the most important international trade fairs. With the goal of implementing guaranteed and proven solutions
As a former Production Engineering alumnus of the UPB, which is a fascinating but extremely broad degree (logistics, manufacturing, quality, finance, etc.), how did you manage to find your path and decide that your path was in the pharmaceutical industry?
Production engineering is very broad, and at the beginning one doesn't have complete clarity about which path one wants to follow; sometimes it depends greatly on the opportunities one finds along the way
In my case, the path was defined in practice, facing real problems. The pharmaceutical industry attracted me because it combines technical complexity, social impact, and a high level of demand.
There I found an environment where I could develop professionally and, at the same time, contribute to something bigger.
Leading production of a giant like INTI requires very solid foundations. In what way do you think the level of rigor and the comprehensive training at UPB gave you the necessary foundation to succeed and take on senior management responsibilities?
UPB gave me a comprehensive education from the technical to the organizational side, but above all, it instilled discipline in me.
Beyond technical knowledge, it teaches you to structure problems, analyze with judgment, and maintain a constant level of rigor. That is key when you take on roles of responsibility, where decisions have a real impact on the organization.
The job market for engineers is increasingly demanding. Looking back at your time at university, which do you consider was that key tool, knowledge or approach you learned at UPB that gave you a real competitive advantage over other professionals in your field?
The greatest advantage was learning to think in a structured way.
In production, problems do not come in an orderly fashion. The ability to break down a situation, analyze causes, and make data-based decisions is what really makes the difference.
What practical advice would you give to a recent graduate to help them discover their true calling within such a broad field?
My recommendation is simple: don't look for the perfect job at the beginning, look to learn. The path is defined by working, facing real problems, and understanding in what kind of environment one creates the most value. The important thing is to start, observe, and adjust.
Even for those with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, it is necessary to learn the day-to-day of a project before executing your own in order to ensure success
Which do you consider is that soft skill that young engineers forget to develop but that is crucial for professional growth?
Without a doubt, communication. An engineer can have excellent technical analysis, but if they cannot align teams, convey ideas, and generate commitment, the impact is limited.
At the managerial level, the ability to influence and coordinate is as important as technical knowledge.
Looking back and seeing everything you have built so far, what fundamental life lesson would you like to share with our community?
I would tell them to be patient and focused. Important results take time, and professional growth is not linear. The important thing is to maintain consistency, learn from each stage, and not lose sight of the long-term goal.
If you had to summarize your philosophy of work, leadership, and production in one short sentence, what would it be?
Sustainable results are built with discipline, quality, and correct decisions every day.
ABOUT YOU:
A book or movie that has marked you?
A book that marked me quite a bit was Good to Great.
It made me see that truly important results do not come from strokes of luck, but from doing things well every day, with discipline and consistency.
A person you deeply admire?
I greatly admire people who work well in silence, without seeking recognition, but who are always there when they are needed.
In everyday life, those kinds of people are the ones who truly sustain an organization.
A phrase or principle that guides your life?
“The difference between doing something and doing it really well is often just 10 more minutes.”
It's something I try to apply every day, both at work and in my personal life.
Your most prized possession?
Without a doubt, family… it will always be the driving force that most motivates a person in times of crisis.
But if I look at it from a more general perspective, time. Because it is the only resource that is not recovered, and how we use it ends up defining both our results and our life.
A fear you've learned to transform?
The fear of thinking differently. Of proposing new ways of doing things, of questioning what is established, or of asking when something does not seem right.
Over time I understood that this kind of discomfort is necessary. Many times, that is where real improvements begin. Today I try not to avoid it, but to use it as momentum to analyze better and contribute with judgment.