Woman of the Month – Tsvetelina Müller – Roche Thailand

Hello everyone! My name is Tsvetelina Mueller, but please call me Lina. I am a Bulgarian-German by nationality and global by heart. Personally, I love travelling, getting to know different people and cultures, I am a sports enthusiast and an adventurer. So far I have lived, studied and worked in 10 different countries across Europe, the USA, LATAM and now Asia. I love my family and I am very happy to have the opportunity to be in Thailand together with my husband.

Professionally, I started off my career in the non-profit sector by first joining a Global Leadership Program called Up with People, which eventually became my first employer. As a group of 60 people from 20 countries, we performed, studied, did workshops at schools and volunteered with local nonprofits across 3 continents with the vision to create a more inclusive and sustainable world where people are equal in dignity and rights. I can recommend this experience to any young person since it is absolutely life-changing.

After completing my MBA in the USA, I started working at Roche as an intern, where I have been now for the past 12 years. With time, I discovered my strong passion for improving healthcare through innovation and digital solutions. I had different roles, predominantly in Diabetes Care, but recently in Oncology, such as Marketing Manager supporting 71 emerging markets, Commercial Manager for Eastern Europe, Distributor Business Manager for 6 countries, etc. Just before coming to Bangkok, I was based in Basel leading a Global Digital Transformation Program for Diabetes Care.

In my current role as an Integrated Disease Value Lead for Breast Cancer & Hematology and Oncology Ecosystem Coach at Roche Pharma, I have the pleasure of leading and working with several passionate cross-functional teams (market access, medical, commercial, etc.) whose aim is to maximize the chance of cure and improve the lives of cancer patients in Thailand. From an oncology ecosystem perspective, we wish to understand the patients’ needs along the disease journey from screening, diagnosis, and treatment, and together with partners to develop innovative solutions to transform healthcare delivery.

For those, who have not heard about Roche, it is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare – a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible. Roche is the world’s largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology, and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management. This year, Roche is celebrating its 125 year anniversary. The 125-year legacy of delivering lasting innovation in healthcare is our most important contribution to society.

I had the opportunity to experience Asia before by travelling and also living with host families for 6 weeks in Japan. I have also been to Thailand 4-5 times before for leisure and what always impressed me is how nice and welcoming the people are. Besides, I love the food and nature. Thailand also holds a special place in my heart as my husband and I got engaged in Bangkok 8 years ago. Therefore, when the job offer came, we were very excited about the opportunity.

In addition, I believe that nowadays, Asia is the place for innovation. I recently read an article by McKinsey & Co. that between 2006–08 and 2016–18, Asia accounted for 52 percent of global growth in the revenue of technology companies and captured 87 percent of global growth in patent filings over the past decade.

I do not think that I have experienced any severe cultural shock so far, however, I did need to shed a few tears after trying the authentic food in the south 😉

When my parents asked me what I want to be when I grow up, I answered that I wanted to invent medicine, so that they would never die. I know that sounds cheesy, but I did have an interest in this area quite early on. Later, both my grandmothers died from cancer, one was 57 and the other one was 63 only 2-3 months after diagnosis. At the time, science was at a different level. Now, there are many more advanced treatments making it possible for people to get the maximum chance of cure or extension of life.

I believe that it is a human right for all people to be able to access the optimal diagnosis and therapy. Hence, I get very upset when I see that in some countries, this is not possible. I have a very high value for health. What has been a rewarding experience is meeting people who survived cancer thanks to the innovation we deliver. There was a lady whom I recently met who was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and the doctors originally gave her a prediction of a couple of months left to live. After she initiated the therapy, she reacted very well, and now, 6 years later, she is one of the most energetic people I have ever met and a fighter for equitable access in Thailand. This story was an inspiration for me and my team and showed us that we can make a difference.

Innovation is at the core of our work at Roche. Our vision for the future is personalised healthcare, a patient-centric approach to delivering value-based, outcome-driven healthcare. I am proud that recently Roche announced a great pipeline of 15 new molecular entities and 39 additional indications entering stage 3 trials, which means that for many patients with cancer, infectious diseases such as COVID, Ophthalmology, etc. there is hope. There are some areas such as Cervical Cancer and Breast Cancer, where we are the closest to being able to say that there is cure since if cancer is prevented or detected early and treated optimally, people have a 90-100% survival chance.

Innovation, however, does not stop with R&D. It is needed throughout the patient journey to make healthcare sustainable. Advances in technology are reshaping healthcare, offering many patients the means to track their own health and giving researchers the tools to gain deeper insights into the causes of cancer and its management. As patients become more knowledgeable, informed and tech savvy, the expectation for innovative and effective treatments increases. However, there is still a need to improve the quality of care in general. Patient outcomes can vary because availability and access to innovative and personalised healthcare is fragmented across countries and healthcare systems; this is due to knowledge gaps as well as a lack of infrastructure and healthcare system funding. We need a profound transformation of healthcare systems, on a global scale, to meet these demands and improve patient care.

Breast cancer in Thailand is the leading cancer-related cause of death for women in Thailand, with 22,158 cases and 8,266 deaths per year. Just for a comparison, the COVID-related deaths in Thailand as of the end of July 2021 were 5,168. Critical for breast cancer is early detection and timely treatment with optimal therapy.

Hence, at Roche, our breast cancer dream outcomes for Thailand are: “Patients at risk or living with breast cancer have unrestricted access to the best personalized innovative solutions for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment at the right time to maximize the chance of cure or extend their meaningful lives.”

We offer innovative targeted therapies, immunotherapies & holistic solutions for patients. By combining pharmaceutical science, strong diagnostic, digital and genomic capabilities, our research seeks to enable treatment tailored to each individual’s needs. Find out more at: https://www.roche.co.th/

We have several programs and collaborations with multiple stakeholders to improve patient outcomes in Thailand. One of them is the initiative called: HERWill to Chase Away Cancer for a Better World. Its aim is to encourage early screening and diagnosis of breast cancer, empower people through knowledge, provide support to patients through a community and raise awareness about the need for timely access to innovative therapies. Please join the campaign here: https://herwill.wellcancer.com/

Digital skills are considered a core competency at Roche. As a company, we aim to have the majority of our interactions through digital channels within the next few years. What I also believe is that using digital solutions and channels enables the empowerment of patients by making care and information accessible to more people faster and cheaper than ever before. Hence, if you want to make your mark in healthcare one day, start now by developing your digital skills and learning about customer-centric approaches such as design thinking!

1. Search for a company with the right culture for you and where you find meaning in the job beyond the paycheck. The time spent working is a significant proportion of our lives, so it is crucial that we spend it in the right environment and enjoy what we do.
2. Prioritize getting a “foot in the door” vs “getting the perfect job”. Be open to trying different roles and you might be surprised at what you learn about yourself. Nowadays, the job market changes really fast, so it is much more important to get an opportunity to interact with the people from the company directly and to demonstrate your value and willingness to learn than to wait for the “right” job to come.
3. Continue trying! Finding a first job is not easy, but eventually it will work out. Do not be surprised if you have to send a double-digit number of applications. With time, it  gets easier with the expansion of your network, but still keeping a good CV and record of your achievements and capabilities is a must.

The Digital Leaders of the Future Program is a great idea coming from the 2 future young leaders, Jaja and Jane. I really got inspired when talking to them about the way they wanted to empower young people by connecting them with mentors and improving their digital skills. I am excited to contribute as a mentor and by helping them to set up the program. Please follow the news on DBWT and stay tuned on the upcoming activities.

Overall, I value the flexibility we have through working from home. On those days when it is possible, I do like taking lunch outside in a park or in the garden. Also, my personal digital training coach is helping me;) I have become a big fan of high-intensity training, which I do 3-4 times a week. This keeps me fit and I have an excuse to enjoy the delicious food in Thailand.

Covid has changed our lives completely, but it has also proven that people can be very united in front of challenges to humanity. We have seen lots of acts of kindness, fast innovation with vaccines, diagnostics and treatments as well as increased digitization during this period. People realize much more the importance of health and prevention, and governments are more open towards collaborative approaches to tackle the world’s challenges. I am hopeful that all these effects would spill over to other areas of our lives and eventually would have a positive impact on society in the long run.