Hannah Breier
Supervisor, Distribution Operations - Fresenius Kabi
“Never be afraid to pursue your own passions and go for what you truly want.”
Read Hannah’s full profile below
Where did you grow up?
Naperville, IL
Who was your favorite teacher, and why?
My creative solutions professor in college. His passion towards the creative process and his research made the material so much more enjoyable to learn. Also, he structured the class to be very hands on and truly made the class feel less like a typical course, and more like a real-life project with our peers.
What inspired you to pursue a career in STEM/Healthcare?
I grew up with a dad in supply chain and had friends in college who were almost all pursing the healthcare field. I saw the importance in both, and truly found my passion in process improvement through internships, so I looked to pursue a career in both STEM and healthcare. I was inspired to not only improve the supply chain, but also help, or even save a patient’s life at the receiving end. Additionally, going through covid during college showed me the continuous need for STEM employees, especially in the healthcare supply chain industry.
What were your moments of fear/challenges in your career?
I felt a slight challenge, mostly within myself, when I entered my first job right out of school. It can be daunting to enter an engineering job as a young 22-year-old woman who just graduated. However, I soon realized that the fear was superfluous due to the endless support and guidance I received from day 1. I was welcomed with open arms and was able to ask all the questions I had without judgement. With that eagerness to learn, I built trust within my various teams and gained new opportunities to improve the business.
What are some of the innovations in science that you are most excited about?
Biosimilars! I work for a pharmaceutical generics company who is quickly developing our biosimilars portfolio. “A biosimilar is a product that offers the expected treatment benefits of an approved biologic drug (reference product). It is an equivalent version of an existing biologic that promises the same therapeutic behavior.” Getting to see the impact these biosimilars make on clinically or chronically ill patients for a lesser cost of biologics is why I love the innovation.
What’s next for you?/What would you like to do when you “grow up’? (retire, etc.)/ what is something you hope to accomplish in the future?
I am now looking to expand my network and be able to connect further with the patients and clinicians who are impacted by our products. Whether that pursuit takes me to higher level healthcare distribution roles, or a switch into consulting between manufacturers and hospitals, I look forward to making a bigger impact on the end of line user.
Personal style/fashion tip?
Don’t just buy pieces to fit in! Shop for clothes you feel confident and good in, no matter the brand. Also, thrifting is the best!
Favorite website/blog/”guilty pleasure”/fun?
I listen to Leo Skepi’s podcast, Aware and Aggravated! I highly suggest it if you want a good laugh or need some life advice.
