Five Questions With: Tony Pankau

"WE COULD NOT be [in Rhode Island] if the infrastructure did not support our needs," said Tony Pankau, Amgen vice president of Rhode Island operations. /

Tony Pankau, the new vice president of Rhode Island operations for Amgen Inc., recently replaced Kimball Hall in that position, who accepted a promotion as vice president of corporate manufacturing at Amgen’s headquarters in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Pankau served as plant manager of the West Greenwich facility for the past nine years and was a member of Hall’s leadership team.
Among Pankau’s responsibilities will be to manage bringing to commercialization two new products at the West Greenwich plant: Vectibix, used in the treatment of first-line metastatic colorectal cancer; and a new clinical product whose name and purpose Amgen is keeping under wraps.
Under Pankau’s leadership, Amgen will continue to manufacture Enbrel, the primary product at the manufacturing site for the past nine years.
Providence Business News asked Pankau to talk about Amgen’s future in Rhode Island and Amgen’s role in developing the Knowledge District in Providence.

PBN: Amgen has won awards for its innovation and for being one of the best places to work in Rhode Island. The West Greenwich facility operates 24 hours a day, and the process to produce a successful batch is often a 45-day process. As a manager, how do provide the motivation for your 900 employees in this environment?
PANKAU:
Let me say right off that we have a very motivated staff. Our mission is to produce medicine for people with grievous illness. We have an unofficial site motto, “Every patient, every time.” That means the patient is always in our thoughts, and everything we do is focused on delivering therapeutics to people who need it.
We have a very talented and engaged staff who always go the extra mile. The people working here are involved in a lot of things – we have groups associated with different dimensions of diversity, for example, and clubs that form around common interests. We have teams of people that work on making Amgen a great place to work, in areas of growth and development, trust, mood, and workplace satisfaction. All of these initiatives help us maintain a high level of success.

PBN: How does Rhode Island’s implementation of federal health care form – and some of the changes in the delivery of health care services – change the playing field, if at all, for Amgen as a drug manufacturer?
PANKAU:
Amgen consistently supports reforms aimed at providing all Americans with access to affordable health insurance and addressing the burden of disease. We have to develop partnerships to move toward innovative solutions aimed at improving this system, fostering the growth of life sciences that fuels American economic well-being and competitiveness, and delivering the best possible outcomes for patients.
As you know, we’re on the board of the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, which issued a report last fall on the impact of health care reform to Rhode Island. We are happy to help the state, working with RIPEC, Gov. [Lincoln D.] Chafee, and the House and Senate leadership, to devise the best way to implement provisions of health care reform that best meets the needs of Rhode Islanders and the companies located here.

PBN: What’s the most important attribute of being located in Rhode Island for Amgen?
PANKAU:
We could not be here if the infrastructure did not support our needs. So transportation, utilities, water, all have to be reliable, and they are. We’ve never had a problem finding talented staff from the area, and we have excellent relationships with the local colleges, universities and technical schools.
Also, the geography is excellent – right along a major interstate, midway between Boston and New York, with Hartford accessible and T.F. Green just a few minutes away – make it easy to get in and out.
And finally, Rhode Island’s size makes it possible to work closely with government agencies and elected officials. Looking ahead, we’re excited about working with Gov. Chafee, the Assembly leadership, and the Rhode Island Congressional delegation.

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PBN: How do you see Amgen as participating in the development of the so-called Knowledge District in Providence?
PANKAU:
I am convinced that the Knowledge District can be an engine of economic growth for Rhode Island, which is good for the state and good for business.
We are a member of the Innovation Providence Implementation Council of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, which oversees the Knowledge Economy Action Agenda. So we are integrally involved in ensuring a robust plan to commercialize talent and boost productivity in the region. That means working with other companies, universities, and state and local government to make sure the Knowledge District is successful in integrating the life sciences as a key economic driver.
We also work with the R.I. Science and Technology Advisory Committee and the R.I. Economic Development Corporation. We are on the board of the Tech Collective, Rhode Island’s bioscience industry organization, as well as the New England Biotechnology Association. We recognize Rhode Island’s role in being a leader in the biosciences community, and we would encourage other companies to come to Rhode Island because they would love it as well.
As far as visual imaging, that specific industry is a bit outside our realm. But anything that attracts bright, energetic talent to stay in or come to Rhode Island is good for the overall business climate.

PBN: Massachusetts has created its own Life Sciences Collaborative and Life Sciences Institute as a way to support and grow its life sciences cluster. Is there something more Rhode Island can do along those lines?
PANKAU:
Rhode Island already has a nascent bioscience cluster. The Knowledge District will ensure that it grows. The University of Rhode Island’s biotechnology manufacturing program can serve as a hub for attracting companies to train staffs and become world class in biomanufacturing.
I think the Knowledge District will become a cluster, much like Kendall Square in Cambridge or the Longwood medical area in Boston. The state must maintain a generally favorable business climate that fosters innovation, and implement a tax treatment for the life science community that encourages this innovation and growth.
Also, we must have policies that integrate higher education, particularly in the STEM curricula, with the life sciences industry. That is essential for Rhode Island to successfully compete in the bioscience sector.

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