As we approach International Women’s Day in March, we have taken the opportunity to sit down with our own inspirational women to get to know them a little better. In this blog, we have sat down with Raji Jega, Controller, to learn more about her inspirational journey to where she is today. We hope you enjoy learning about Raji as much as we did.
What was your very first job role?
I am originally from Colombo, Sri Lanka. When I moved to Canada in 1998, my first job was as an account manager at a bank.
What was the key driving factor that made you want to work within the Pharmaceutical Industry?
I felt I needed a career change and one day I stumbled across a job advertisement for RxSource, did a little research on the company and decided that it was the perfect fit for me. I liked the idea of being able to help people receive life changing medication in their time of need.
Tell us a little more about your journey to your current job role?
When I joined RxSource, we were a small organisation involved in suppling medicinal products to the local pharmacies and supporting Global Access programs – allowing patients to benefit from treatments that were not available in their home country. I’m so happy and proud to say that I was the first employee at RxSource. I have seen the company expand into support for clinical trials, through the provision of project management, packaging and labelling activities. This has required me to develop new skills – there is a big difference between handling finances around buy/sell transactions, and those required to accurately invoice for a broad range of customised services that vary week-week and month-month. My role has changed a huge amount over the years. When I began with the company, I was a team of one working with mainly manual systems. We are now a team of 5 working with rapidly evolving technologies, culminating in the roll out of our new global ERP system last summer, in which I played an integral role.
What is it you do in your current role?
I am the Controller for RxSource, which means that I am responsible for all accounting related activities I love my position and enjoy my time with RxSource because I have the opportunity to work across functions, which gives me great insight into all of the activities RxSource performs to ensure we get the right product, to the right patient at the right time….regardless of where that patient is in the world.
What do you like most about what you do?
I love the collaborative working environment, good intercultural communication, and flexibility. Each day brings a new challenge which allows me to learn and grow. A few years ago I read a story about JFK visiting NASA and asking a janitor what his job was. ‘I am putting man on the moon’. That is how I see my role in RxSource – I may work in Finance, but I am helping make a positive difference to patients’ lives.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I read books, I like to make time for my friends and family. To me, it is very important to spend time with the ones you love.
If you could give your younger self any advice, what would it be?
Choose what you like, love your job, try to develop new skills and maintain a good work - life balance.
Is there any advice you would give someone looking to progress their career in this industry?
Yes, join and work with our RxSource family! RxSource encourages you to take a bigger picture view of your job. While my day job involves dollars and cents, our company purpose of making a positive impact on the lives of 10 million patients drives me every day.
About the author
Raji Jega is a Controller at RxSource. She joined the company more than a 18 years ago and has over 18 years of experience within the industry.
Last quarter alone, we were able to positively impact the lives of 44,500 patients. Our goal is to improve the lives of 10 million patients in 10 years. Contact us today to learn more about how we can work together to make a meaningful impact.
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