Making an impact for human health

A move for better human health

Moving from medical engineering to product development was a natural transition for Birgit. After seven years working in health tech engineering roles, she changed her path and became a product development manager at Enztec, a world-renowned Christchurch-based orthopaedic instrument supplier. As the voice of the customer, she ensures their needs are met to support the successful development, launch, and adoption of new products.

Solving problems for the health of society

I represent the customer’s voice within our organisation and ensure a successful delivery of products by overseeing the product scope and development.

As the key customer contact, I ensure their needs are met and help solve their problems. Every day, I work on identifying and pursuing new opportunities for growth and innovation. We develop strategies, negotiate partnerships and manage relationships with key stakeholders. My team collaborates with other departments such as engineering, marketing, sales, regulatory affairs, manufacturing, and production to ensure the successful development, launch and adoption of new products.

A professional volleyballer, turned engineer, turned product developer

I was a professional volleyball player while studying Medical Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Austria.

My honours project led me to the University of Limerick (UOL) in Ireland, where I developed and prototyped a wireless accelerometer-based respiratory sensor system for wearable health monitoring.

Following that, I studied a Master of Science in Biomedical Device Materials and completed a Master's Thesis Project, then worked as a research and development engineer for Teva Pharmaceuticals, enabling the delivery of therapies through inhalers and handheld nebulisers.

After about two and a half years, I moved on to a new adventure in Auckland with Fisher and Paykel Healthcare. I was researching and developing new technologies to be included in several face mask products. I contributed to the development of an under-the-nose, full-face mask and its delivery to market and worked on a system that allows clinicians to easily transition patients from one therapy to another. Several years later, I made the transition to Enztec and moved from engineering to product development management.

A career with relationships at the core

The opportunity to build long-lasting relationships with our customers and deliver high-end orthopaedic instruments is the best part of my job. I enjoy understanding the value of our products within the market and Enztec’s growth. I have always wanted to understand the bigger picture of a company; working as a product development manager in Enztec, as well as being part of the business development team, increasingly enables this.

The road to possible

Even if people doubt you, follow your heart and stick to what you love — you can do it. If there is one thing that I have learned along the way, it is: “I don’t need easy, I need possible,” and so far, everything is possible after all!