Marek graduated in Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague and decided to pursue a doctoral degree at the Department of Chemical Engineering in the Chobotix laboratory. He was involved in the development of porous silica micro and nanoparticles that can be used as carriers of active substances in pharmacy. All of his scientific work within the framework of his doctorate was partly carried out under the company Zentiva, which allowed Marek to understand the functioning of a large company and learn what is expected of a person in certain positions, what such a person could be responsible for, etc. Throughout his studies at UCT, Marek had numerous extracurricular activities – he was a student senator and an active member of K3S. 

During the fourth year of his Ph.D. studies, Marek began to actively look for a job abroad. Since he was quite picky, as he himself says, it took him 10 months to find a suitable position. In the end, he chose the position of formulator in development at the pharmaceutical company Sandoz, which previously belonged to Novartis but became independent at the end of 2023. Specifically, he joined the development centre in Kundl, Austria, which is less than a 5-hour drive from Prague. "Development in pharmaceuticals works a little differently than in academia, because you have quite strict deadlines – you're pressed by a certain date when a patent is released, and if you're not on the market with a drug at that moment, you lose your position." 

As a formulator, Marek worked on documentation, designed and conducted experiments, evaluated data and dealt with risk analysis. In May 2022, he moved to a new position in project management within the development department, where he is in charge of coordinating all people involved in the development project, and where he has been working until now. He is responsible for adhering to the project schedule and financial schedule, resolving crises and negotiating with Sandoz's senior management. "My experience from the UCT Senate helps me a lot in negotiations. It's beneficial to be able to guess what someone is really thinking or what they really need to hear." In recent months, Marek has also been involved in projects aimed at improving internal processes within Sandoz and has been using his experience in communicating with colleagues from many branches of the company in different countries. Since Marek's working life largely takes place online, he can pass on his experience on how to collaborate effectively in an online environment, conduct meetings, build full-fledged working relationships and how to set up a good home-office regime. Marek joined mentoring because he wants to pass on his experience that could be a great help to someone.