Luca Defendenti

Luca Defendenti has extensive experience in quality assurance and project management within the pharmaceutical industry. Luca began their career as a Validation Engineer at Poli industria Chimica in 1987 before moving on to roles at Indena, Foster Wheeler Steril, Glaxosmithkline, and Zambon. At Zambon, Luca worked as the Global Pharma QA Support & Supplier Qualification, managing 100+ suppliers worldwide and overseeing the audit program. Prior to this, they served as the Corporate QA Technical Support at Zambon, where they were responsible for project management and acted as a Validation Manager. At Glaxosmithkline, Luca worked as an NPI Project Leader and Project Validation Manager, overseeing the transfer of production and the validation of sterile departments. At Foster Wheeler Steril, they served as the Head of Validation Department, managing projects from design to handover and providing quality engineering consultancy. At Indena, Luca worked as a Validation Coordinator, managing validation projects for new departments and implementing validation programs. Throughout their career, Luca has demonstrated strong leadership skills and expertise in validation and quality assurance in the pharmaceutical industry.

Luca Defendenti obtained a Diploma in Industrial Chemistry from Scuola Normale Superiore, where they studied from 1980 to 1985. Luca also holds various additional certifications, including a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification from Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca in 2015 and a GMP PQS Lead Auditor Certification from CQI-IRCA in November 2018. Luca has recently completed courses in Understanding Transactional Analysis and Leading in Uncertainty at Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Luca also obtained an Influencing skill certificate from the same institution in 2021.