Since its creation, GCT has been serving
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the ever-changing environment.
When we say GCT, we mean the employees who make our growth possible. 

Continuing our employee story anniversary section,
this month we are sharing the story of someone who has been with the company
since its very beginning. His name is Anton Romanov, Event Manager at Global
Clinical Trials.

  • Which office are you located at?

 Based in St. Petersburg, Russia, which is historically
the oldest office of the company. St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful
cities in the world, this is a great location since it sits at the crossroads
between Europe’s Nordic and Eastern/Baltic regions — and Russia. The city
boasts a bustling cultural and business scene, it’s a great location to live,
learn and work. 

  • How long have you worked here? Can you tell more about your role and background?

 I’m holding a Master’s degree in Management. Being
with the company since 2001, I’ve switched through multiple roles and positions,
including IT, Marketing, currently, I’m in charge of Event Management
internationally.

  • Was the job what you expected it would be? Did anything surprise you?

Everything has been quite a surprise since I’ve started as a
part-time intern. My biggest amazement was the team — friendly, helpful, and
supportive.

  • What’s changed at the company since you’ve joined?

 GCT has grown from a local start-up to a CRO with a
global footprint. The company has gone through the challenging process where
passion and enthusiasm translate into consistent standards, but at the same
time managed to retain both.

  • What is important for you in the corporate culture of GCT?

 GCT is built around strong leadership, openness,
dedication, and responsibility. Those are the values that shaped the company.
But what’s probably even more important is that as the company has been built
by people with a medical background, who grow up with the medical traditions of
sharing knowledge, teaching, and learning — GCT has always been, and remains the
place where people flourish.   

  • Can you describe an event that was particularly memorable during your career at GCT?

There have been so many — probably all of the
«firsts». Probably the most heart-warming memories are associated
with the first global studies: seeing how intercultural barriers dissolve when
teams from different parts of the world, speaking different languages bond
while working on pursuing common goals.

  • What was the moment when you knew you’d made the right decision to work here?

 That was when I got to know the people, GCT team
members, which went far beyond their formal job obligations: worked truly to
the best of their skills, took on the challenges, and dedicated themselves to
deliver perfection.

  • Tell us about the funniest story that happened to you during your work

 I wouldn’t call it funny, but quite memorable: One of
our first projects in Russia was for a trial sponsored by a US company, which
contracted a global events vendor to organize all the investigator meetings for
their global project. The vendor produced all of the materials in the US
centrally and courier-shipped everything to the venue in Russia just a few days
prior to the meeting. The shipment got trapped in the customs-and-couriers
maze, and on the weekend prior to the meeting, the client informed us about the
dire situation with their vendor. Luckily, we had sufficient staff, a friendly
copy center next door which agreed to work for us 24/7. Coke, pizza and piles
of handouts — that was actually a great weekend for us, and we could produce
everything locally in just one day. Ever since our strongest point is staying
local, no matter how global we grow.

  • What do you think the mission of GCT is?

 2020 has shown to the world what clinical trials are, and how vital they may be to the well-being of literally every single person on our planet. GCT sees its purpose in helping to bring medicines to the people, and should the challenge be a pandemic striking globally, or rare orphan disease, it remains equally important.

  • Describe GCT in 10 years

The company expanded geographically, in terms of employee
numbers — and most importantly projects wisely. Today we are taking on bigger
challenges — that’s possible thanks to the wealth of experience accumulated.