Catarinense
Operational Excellence Through People, Purpose, and Process
Ana Carolina Schwarz Kruger
Ana Carolina Schwarz Kruger is an executive leader based in Joinville, Brazil, currently serving as Director of Research, Development & Innovation (RD&I), COO, and Head of Industrial Operations at Catarinense. She specializes in operational excellence and pharmaceutical industry management.
In an exclusive interview with Life Sciences Review, Ana Carolina Schwarz Kruger shared her leadership philosophy, insights on driving innovation within a highly regulated pharmaceutical environment, and her approach to embedding compliance, resilience, and continuous improvement into operational excellence.
Honoring Legacy While Embracing Change
Over the past 25 years, I’ve grown from an intern to Director of R&D and Operations at Catarinense, leading strategic projects and major transformations. My journey has been defined by dedication, continuous learning, and a deep passion for health innovation, driven by a genuine desire to contribute and a strong interest in understanding our processes, culture, and the impact of our work on people’s lives.
Today, I remain as passionate and enthusiastic as I was in my early internship days. I’m proud to be part of an 80-year-old company that honors its legacy while constantly evolving. My mission is to lead with purpose, fostering technical excellence and empowering people to deliver health and well-being through quality, safety, and innovation.
Cultivating a Culture That Fuels Innovation
In a highly regulated industry, innovation isn’t about disruption for its own sake—it’s about creating safe, effective, and viable solutions within clear frameworks. In many cases, regulation itself can be a driver of innovation.
Efficiency comes from clear processes, defined KPIs, and smart technologies, while innovation is fueled by market insights, strategic partnerships, and a culture of critical thinking and improvement.
I believe that productivity and cost reduction should not be isolated goals—they must be natural outcomes of well-designed processes, engaged teams, and clearly defined objectives.
Balancing both is an ongoing effort to align science, management, and purpose, turning great ideas into scalable, sustainable solutions that meet the highest standards of our industry.
Planning for the Unexpected with Strategic Agility
My leadership style in times of crisis is grounded in clarity, presence, and rapid yet responsible action. In critical moments, communication must become even more transparent and frequent.
From the 2018 truck drivers’ strike to the COVID-19 pandemic, my focus remained on protecting people, ensuring business continuity, and maintaining team trust. Scenario planning played a key role—we worked with simulations and plans to respond with agility and adaptability.
A critical factor in our resilience was our autonomy in producing APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients). By manufacturing the base extract for our leading syrup in-house, we ensured an uninterrupted supply, even amid global raw material shortages. This prevented stockouts at retail and enabled us to fully meet consumer demand during the pandemic, ultimately making our syrup the best-selling in Brazil in 2020.
Efficiency Rooted in Quality and Respect for People
My approach to fostering a culture of continuous improvement starts with a fundamental principle: efficiency is only sustainable when it respects quality and values people. I believe that productivity and cost reduction should not be isolated goals— they must be natural outcomes of well-designed processes, engaged teams, and clearly defined objectives.
Sustaining a high-performance culture means empowering people, optimizing systems, and never losing sight of our purpose: to be Brazil’s source of health.
Embedding Compliance into R&D from the Start
Being directly involved with ANVISA through public consultations and legislative discussions has given me a strategic view of regulation, not as a barrier, but as a driver of innovation. This proximity has allowed me to anticipate industry trends, align R&D with safety and quality from the outset, and reinforce a strong culture of compliance.
By actively participating in these forums, I contribute to building a regulatory environment that is both clearer and more aligned with the industry realities, reinforcing an internal culture of responsible innovation.
Combined with business vision and market insights, this approach enables me to lead innovation with technical confidence and long-term impact.
Letting Go of Control to Embrace Innovation
To truly innovate and lead—especially in complex environments like the pharmaceutical industry—young professionals must unlearn the need for total control and embrace curiosity, collaboration, and the ability to navigate ambiguity. Innovation often emerges from discomfort, doubt, and the courage to challenge the status quo.
Leadership isn’t about having all the answers, but about asking the right questions, co-creating with your team, and staying curious and humble in the face of uncertainty. It’s equally important to rethink our relationship with failure: making responsible mistakes and learning quickly is part of any authentic innovation process. Real innovation begins when we let go of certainties and lead with purpose, awareness, and courage.
