In April 2020, Zentiva Pharma took over the central and eastern region of Alvogen, marking the beginning of its operations in Serbia.
The established and proven team structuring model of this company, which demonstrated remarkable success and resilience in Serbia amidst various challenges, has become a guiding example for team-building initiatives in other Western Balkan countries during the restructuring implemented three years ago. It is through this model that outstanding collaboration has been fostered among the countries.
How challenging was it to become recognizable in a market filled with well-established players?
― The synergy between Alvogen and Zentiva enabled Zentiva to build on Alvogen’s legacy. We retained our team, business culture, and the entire operation that we had developed over the years at Alvogen.
This continuity has been distinctive and widely recognised, providing an excellent foundation for Zentiva to step forward and quickly position itself among the strongest players in the generic market.
Your motto is that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege. It seems that today, more than ever before, people value the accessibility of high-quality and affordable medicines…
― The company’s motto essentially encompasses a wide range of values that form the basis of Zentiva’s work globally. When we say that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege, we are not only referring to the high-quality affordable therapy provided by Zentiva but also to all the additional efforts, initiatives, and strides that our team members personally make every day. We encourage the professional and personal development of each individual in the team. Only that way, as a team can we contribute to ensuring that, despite all challenges, healthcare processes related to pharmacotherapy are implemented at the right time and in the right place in service to patients. In addition to all this, the company is committed to sustainability and minimisation of the environmental impact through numerous global sustainability projects.
Countries in the Western Balkans region operate similarly in terms of business models, structure, and business atmosphere, but they also differ significantly. What are the key foundations you have built to string together successes?
― Each Western Balkan country is unique, characterized by a distinct healthcare system and governing bodies. Therefore, our operations in each country follow a unique developmental path. At the same time, the team structuring model that has shown incredible success and resilience in Serbia over the years has served as an example for building teams in other Western Balkan countries during the restructuring period I have lead three years ago. This has created a business atmosphere where communication flows at a high level, enabling collaboration between countries.
Understanding differences, on one hand, and mutual exchange of best practices, on the other, form the foundation for stringing together successes in the Western Balkan countries as a whole. It has proven extremely important in building success that we exchanged experiences between countries and shared examples of successful projects, as well as ways of overcoming challenges, at regular joint gatherings that we’ve organised. This has all contributed to Zentiva’s exceptional growth in the Western Balkans, for which we’ve received important accolades. ∙
