Jean-Bernard

Senior Brand Manager - Pneumococcal Vaccine

I joined GSK Bio at the end of 1997, having spent a few years working with a chemical company. There were lots of attractive elements to GSK, not least its strong growth potential, international focus and dynamic pace.

Since being here, I've found that all my original perceptions were true - especially in terms of the people, the culture and the speed at which things change. Best of all, everyone's passionate about the work they do and their commitment to our business goals. On the whole, it's a really optimistic place to be.

I spend a lot of my time involved in strategic thinking and the creative process. So I might be guiding working groups across department teams, preparing internal and external communication events, or running marketing workshops with different countries.

In brand management, you're in the driving seat for the global pre-marketing and launch effort, which means responsibility for the development and implementation of the worldwide brand strategy. I also enjoy feeling close to the science side of what we do, although it does mean that I need a deep understanding of the complexities of vaccine development.

Autonomy is central to so much of what goes on here. There are opportunities to grow in a number of different directions, which makes for a smooth and highly motivating career path. The business itself allows you to shape the way you work and act on your own initiative - and the same goes for planning your own future.