Milan Yaksic
Plant Manager, INTI Pharmacy
Leading production at Droguería INTI carries a great responsibility. What do you consider to have been the greatest challenge in taking over the Plant Management, and how do you manage to maintain the highest quality standards day in and day out?
The greatest 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 control based on data. But, above all, on the daily discipline of doing things right, even when no one is watching.
In an industry as rigorous 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 a well-established brand?
Innovation in the pharmaceutical industry cannot be disruptive without control; it must be structured.
In the production area, we foster continuous improvement through small, sustained changes: process optimization, use of technology, and data analysis. All innovation goes through technical validation, regulatory compliance, and permanent coordination with the quality area.
The goal is not to change for the sake of change, but to improve without compromising quality or the trust built over the years.
In terms of technology, we always keep up to date through our partners abroad and participation in the most important international fairs, with the objective of implementing guaranteed and proven solutions.
As an alumnus of Production Engineering from UPB, which is a fascinating but extremely broad career (logistics, manufacturing, quality, finance, etc.), how did you manage to find your direction and decide that your path was in the pharmaceutical industry?
Production engineering is very broad, and at the beginning one does not have total clarity about which path one wants to follow, sometimes it depends a lot on the opportunities encountered along the way.
In my case, the direction 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 the production of a giant like INTI requires very solid foundations. In what way do you believe that the level of demand and the comprehensive training of UPB gave you the necessary bases to succeed and take on high management responsibilities?
UPB gave me a comprehensive training from the technical to the organizational, but above all, it instilled discipline in me.
Beyond technical knowledge, it teaches you to structure problems, to analyze with criteria, and to maintain a constant level of demand. That is key when you assume roles of responsibility, where decisions have a real impact on the organization.
The labor market for engineers is increasingly demanding. Looking back at your time at the university, what do you consider to have been that key tool, knowledge, or approach that you learned at UPB and 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 decisions based on data is what really makes the difference.
What practical advice would you give to a recent graduate to help them discover their true vocation within such a broad field?
My recommendation is simple: do not look for the perfect job at the beginning, look to learn. The direction is defined by working, facing real problems, and understanding in what kind of environment one generates more value. The important thing is to start, observe, and adjust.
Even for those with a high entrepreneurial spirit, it is necessary to learn the day-to-day of a project before executing one's own to ensure success.
What do you consider to be that soft skill that young engineers forget to develop but is crucial for professional growth?
Without a doubt, communication. An engineer can have an excellent technical analysis, but if they fail to align teams, transmit ideas, and generate commitment, the impact is limited.
At the management 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 you to have patience and focus. 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 work, leadership, and production philosophy in a single short phrase, what would it be?
Sustainable results are built with discipline, quality, and correct decisions every day.
ABOUT YOU:
A book or movie that left a mark on you? A book that made a big impact on me 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 perseverance.
A person you deeply admire? I deeply admire people who work well in silence, without seeking recognition, but who are always there when they are needed.
In day-to-day 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 is something I try to apply every day, both at work and personally.
Your most precious possession? Without a doubt, family… it will always be the engine 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 cannot be recovered, and how we use it ends up defining both our results and our lives.
A fear you have learned to transform?
The fear of thinking differently. Of proposing new ways of doing things, of questioning the established, or of asking when something does not seem right.
With time, I understood that this type of discomfort is necessary. Many times, that is where real improvements begin. Today I try not to avoid it, but to use it as an impulse to analyze better and contribute with criteria.