Project Management at VERDOT

“I’m a project manager, not a magician. Magicians have way cooler hats.”

— Merlin Mann

A Day in the Life of a Verdot Project Manager

What do I do all day? Well, officially, I’m a project manager for VERDOT, designing chromatography columns and process skids for the biopharmaceutical world.

But honestly, every day is different.

Some days I feel like I am playing Tetris on “Extreme” mode, stacking components into just the right design for each client. At VERDOT, we don’t do cookie-cutter designs, and we’re never about one-size-fits-all solutions. Each project brings a new puzzle, and we make it our mission to fit each piece perfectly.

Some days I feel like a translator, making the technical sound simple and vice versa. I need to interpret what a customer wants in order to make sure that they are getting exactly what they’ve imagined. I’ve got to get everyone on the same page, speaking the different “languages” of the engineers, welders, suppliers, and clients so that we all understand each other.

Some days I feel like a chef cooking up a complex dish, coordinating every ingredient. We need just the right kind of pump or diameter of piping so that the final product is exactly what the customer ordered. If something goes off course, I’m ready to switch up the recipe to keep us on track.

Some days it’s like being a juggler, moving every piece from start to finish with skill and precision. Did a part go missing? Did a specification change at the last second? I’m there to keep the balls in the air and solve issues on the fly.

Some days I feel like the coach of a sports team, we’ve got the ball and there’s less than a minute left to win the game. Working with tight deadlines is a part of life around here. I’ve got to get the best players on the field and call exactly the right plays so that we can deliver on time.

Most days, though, I feel like a conductor leading a scientific orchestra where every engineer, supplier, and client plays a crucial role.

The DNA of Our Company: Custom-Made for Biopharmaceutical Industry

At VERDOT, “tailor-made” is part of our DNA. Our focus is the biopharmaceutical industry, and we’re all about adapting to niche systems. We don’t work from a standard score—every project is its own symphony. Need a column that can handle high flow rates in a tight space? We compose a solution. Need a skid that meets highly specific pharmaceutical standards? We arrange every element to fit. What keeps it exciting is that every project is unique!

As the project manager, I ensure every section is in sync, every note hits just right, and the final performance—our delivered project—is a resounding success.

“The great myth is the manager as orchestra conductor. It’s this idea of standing on a pedestal and you wave your baton and accounting comes in, and you wave it somewhere else and marketing chimes in with accounting, and they all sound very glorious. But management is more like orchestra conducting during rehearsals, when everything is going wrong.”

— Henry Mintzberg

Bringing It All Together: The Grand Finale

By the end of a project, I’m the conductor who’s guided every instrument through its solo, timing, and role. When each chromatography column and skid is ready to launch, everything fits, functions, and shines in harmony. And while we’re not building spaceships, these columns and skids make a huge impact, supporting critical processes that improve health all over the world.