Dermot O’Rourke is a graduate of University College Dublin, obtaining a BSc in Biochemistry. Dermot worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 14 years in solid dose manufacturing in large and small companies. During his career in the pharmaceutical sector he has been involved in three plant start-ups, and has held a variety of positions from Operations Director to Training Manager. Companies that Dermot has worked for include Wyeth, Clonmel Healthcare, and Gerard Laboratories. He has extensive experience of working in a cGMP environment from recruitment and training to problem solving and employee development.

In 1998 Dermot changed sector, and moved to IBM on the Technology Campus in North Dublin, where he worked in management roles in Engineering, Business Development, and Operations Excellence. He worked as a Lean Transformation Manager while in the IBM Microelectronics Division, and found a business improvement strategy that balanced productivity with quality.

Dermot is also a part-time lecturer in the Dublin Institute of Technology where he lectures on Manufacturing Science. He is currently carrying out research work in the area of Lean deployment in the pharmaceutical sector – “Continuous improvement thinking for continuous compliance mindset”. His research involves visits to several pharmaceutical manufacturing plants and a study of the current techniques used for manufacturing improvement. His thesis will examine the unique nature of the pharmaceutical industry, and will test the hypothesis that Lean introduction into a pharmaceutical environment requires a unique “Lean Pharma” approach. This approach is designed to allow faster change in a regulated manufacturing environment without affecting product character or added manufacturing risk. Dermot’s thesis will strive to answer the question – “If you start with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) how can “Lean Manufacturing Practice” be the next step?”