Biotech firm is league of nations with latest Russian recruits

Aug 27 2008 by Karen Dent, The Journal

A BIOTECH firm is truly embracing global culture with staff from more than 16 different countries working at its Teesside offices.

Gleb and Lana Feldmen, who arrived from Eastern Europe via Vancouver in Canada, are the latest recruits to Billingham-based Avecia Biologics.

Russian-born Gleb has been employed as a technical project leader while his wife Lana, who is originally from Latvia, is a quality assurance administrator at the business.

The couple got in touch with Avecia after working for one of the firm’s clients in Canada and have now settled in Yarm.

Gleb said: “We had been thinking of moving for some time and I knew Avecia from my previous job, so this was the first place on my list.”

His wife Lana, who had emigrated with her family to Canada, plans on using her role in the quality department as the first steps in a career in the biotech industry.

Avecia, which employs around 500 people, has staff originating from such diverse places as Greece, South Africa, India, Colombia and the US.

Head of human resources Mike Redmond said: “We are very proud of the diversity of our workforce at Avecia. It shows that we are bringing some of the best talent from across the world to the Tees Valley.”