Margit Andersen
What has made me stay at Zealand for 25 years? My colleagues. Definitely my colleagues.
Job Title: Principal Laboratory Technologist
Other involvement: Union & Works Council
Twenty-five years ago, Margit Andersen was reading the Sunday morning paper and stumbled upon an ad for a position at Zealand Pharma that stood out to her. Having previously worked in the same lab as Bjarne Due Larsen, one of Zealand’s founders, and meeting all the necessary qualifications, Margit decided to apply.
“The funny thing is, I didn’t have any black ink in my printer and the application was due that day. So, I printed it in teal and sent it off.”
Margit makes peptides
Despite the colored ink, Margit was hired. Today, she is part of the backbone of what makes Zealand, Zealand. Margit makes peptides. She is one of the first links in the chain that works to create new medicines for people who need them.
“A typical day for me is in the lab. I collaborate with our scientists to identify any challenges we see with the new peptides we are making. Then, as a technician, I’ll take our discussion back to the lab and try to solve these challenges. Once we have found something that seems to work, the compound gets passed onto other departments at Zealand for further testing.”
Motivated by change, development, and growth
In the beginning, most of the chemistry (and everything else) was done manually. Today, Margit and Zealand have grown and developed.
“In the beginning, if a job had to be done, you had to do it yourself. Even if you needed to paint a wall or order a new piece of equipment. Today, we have help for these things, but it is this type of change and development that has continued to inspire me over the last 25 years.”
During her time at Zealand, Margit has not only grown within her technical role, but also as a union representative and member of the company’s Works Council, where she serves to strengthen communication and cooperation between management and employees.
Great colleagues make Zealand special
One of the main reasons you still find Margit at Zealand is her colleagues.
People frequently come to Margit with questions, and whether she is helping a colleague or having a casual chat at the coffee machine, she truly enjoys those interactions.
“My favorite thing about Zealand is my colleagues and the way we trust each other. That creates a culture where almost everyone can work in the way that suits them best.”
“Also, seeing the results of our daily work. It’s the small but important things that make me proud to work here because it takes everyone’s effort to run a company like this and I feel that at Zealand we all contribute.”