A veterinary degree opens doors: “You are by no means limited”

Which three words would you use to describe your career?

If you ask Jonna Sørensen Ulrich that question, her answer is clear:

Unconventional. Developing. Exciting.

Three words that clearly show she is happy with where her career has taken her, even though the path turned out quite differently from what she originally expected.

“My favourite subject at school was biology, and as a former horse girl, I thought becoming a veterinarian would be the right choice for me. My plan was to specialise in equine surgery,” says Jonna and continues:

“I was aiming for something where I had a clear idea of what the job involved.”

Jonna pursued that dream and enrolled in veterinary medicine. However, during her studies, it became clear to her that she was not destined to become a practising veterinarian.

“Through my experience with horses, I had seen a number of situations that I felt were far too risky. More generally, I could also tell that interacting with owners would not energise me in the long term.”

“I was aiming for something where I had a clear idea of what the job involved.”

Instead, another aspect of her studies had captured her interest: understanding in depth how healthy and diseased cells function, and the mechanisms that can be used to turn disease into health.

Jonna chose a research career path and completed a PhD. Afterwards, she wanted to make the transition into the private Life Science industry.

“At the time, however, the financial crisis was very noticeable, and there were hardly any jobs available. So I continued as a postdoctoral researcher,” says Jonna.

Jonna completed her PhD in 2007 and subsequently worked at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich until 2010. She then gained a foothold in the Life Science industry when she joined Taconic Biosciences, a company that produces laboratory animals used to meet regulatory requirements in drug development.

The Life Science industry puts skills to use

Today, Jonna works as Director of Process Science and Production Planning at Inotiv. Her role is to create a stronger connection between the sales and customer side of the business and the production side. She ensures that the production of laboratory animals is aligned with market demand, thereby avoiding both overproduction and underproduction.

What has been your main motivation throughout your career?

“I have always found it exciting to improve things and make them more efficient. It is very satisfying to take a difficult, almost impossible task, break it down into manageable pieces and work through it,” says Jonna and continues:

“The greatest joy of being a leader is seeing people grow through their responsibilities and watching their job satisfaction increase significantly as they move from being reactive to becoming proactive through selected working methods.”

“It is very satisfying to take a difficult, almost impossible task, break it down into manageable pieces and work through it.”

For many years, Jonna has worked with Lean and Six Sigma tools, which are fundamentally methods for solving problems and managing tasks. She has used these approaches in various roles to optimise workflows and processes in the organisations she has worked for.

Being a problem solver is an important part of what motivates Jonna at work. She gains energy from collaborating with talented colleagues and succeeding with challenging tasks.

Why did you choose to move your career into the Life Science industry?

“I saw opportunities to use my skills and take on new responsibilities over time that would help me develop professionally. The professional working conditions were also a motivating factor.”

Would you recommend that other veterinarians consider a career in the Life Science industry?

“Yes. A veterinary degree provides an exceptionally broad foundation that can be applied in many different fields. You are by no means limited,” says Jonna and continues:

“The Life Science industry offers many opportunities to put your interests and skills into practice and to contribute to improving the quality of life for patients.”