For a relatively new arrival at Nycomed, Dick Söderberg has managed to pack a lot of experiences into a short time. After serving as both Managing Director in Germany and Senior Vice President of Marketing since joining in late 2005, he probably has more of an insight than most into the differences between the challenges in the markets and those at the corporate centre.
HOT SEAT
Dick Söderberg
YOU’VE BEEN AT NYCOMED OVER A YEAR NOW. WHAT HAVE
AS A CONSULTANT, YOU MUST HAVE WORKED WITH A
BEEN YOUR IMPRESSIONS?
LOT OF COMPANIES, HOW DOES THE NYCOMED LEADERSHIP
The company is a very dynamic organisation. What has impressed me
TEAM RATE?
most has been the energy and depth of knowledge of those around me
What stands out as being unique here is the level of trust in the organisa-
– it gives me great confidence that we can meet the various challenges
tion, and that is directly attributable to the leadership team. At Nycomed,
and opportunites ahead.
we have a very open atmosphere, high competence and high energy, and
all of that is coupled with efficient processes and quick decision making.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
In my experience, that combination is pretty unique.
NYCOMED IN THE MARKETS AND NYCOMED AT HQ?
Well, clearly, the same broad business objectives exist at both levels, but
WHAT UNIQUE QUALITY WOULD YOU SAY YOU BRING TO
our markets are very diverse and, as such, face incredibly different chal-
THE TEAM?
lenges. For example, many of the Big Five markets have been managing
I have a background in international pharma, start-ups, running a biotech
the challenge of simply establishing Nycomed as a company – whereas
company listed on the NASDAQ and global launches, as well as general
others have challenges more closely associated with growing the company’s
management and business development. That, together with my back-
bottom-line. Where that all comes together is at corporate level, where
ground in consultancy, means I can offer a lot to the next phase of Ny-
all of those components form a strategy for the company, and we can see
comed’s development.
the longer term picture perhaps a little more clearly.
DO YOU THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN
HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR DIRECT REPORTS WOULD
OUR LEADERSHIP TO SUCCEED IN EUROPE AND BEYOND?
CHARACTERISE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE?
Well, in terms of experience, this is a pretty global group of individuals,
Energetic, positive, and someone who sets of clear objectives. It’s important
with a track record of success from all over the world. Of course, the most
to me that my team and the business both develop to their full potentials.
important thing with cultural diversity is to understand how it impacts
To support that, I make sure that I am available as much as is possible.
on the business. I still remember my first negotiations in Japan, when I
There’s no substitute for being visible and having good dialogue with team
had not researched the culture well enough – it proved an extremely fast
members. You can learn a lot just by looking and listening.
track learning experience! Clearly, with the ALTANA Pharma deal, it will
be important for us to learn quickly how to work well with more German
TO YOUR MIND, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
colleagues than we have been used to, but I’m confident that the whole
MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP?
of Nycomed will adapt well to the changes.
Well, first of all, one is no good without the other. Leadership is more about taking the lead and setting the vision – ensuring that it is understood and
WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO YOU OUTSIDE
bought into by the organisation – not just paid lip service but committed to
OF WORK?
in heart and mind. But you also need to ensure that the team is equipped
Family, friends and I like working out at the gym.
to deliver the vision, both in terms of competences and resources – that’s
where effective management comes in.
WHAT WAS THE LAST THING THAT MADE YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD? A joke told to me by a colleague, ten minutes ago. CAN YOU SHARE IT? It was actually a quote –”Things may come to those who wait, but they`ll be the leftovers from those who hustle.” A sense of urgency is always important - not acting is, most of the time, the least favourable option. n
Closer
Winter
2006
Winter 2006
Closer
WHO YOU GONNA CALL? The Project Management Network is bringing consistency and increased efficiency to the way projects of various sizes are undertaken in Nycomed. There’s some fun involved as well. Words: Ian Royce
Imagine you are asked to lead a project within Nycomed. It doesn’t matter what sort of project or what size. Where would you turn? How would you start? Who can help? A few years ago, the answers depended on what business group you were in - Operations, International Product Development (IPD), IS/IT or Marketing and Sales, for example - but today, things are different. Gunter Baumgartner is one person who has experienced these changes. In 2001, the Nycomed Board sanctioned a budget of €18 million for the extension of TachoSil production in Austria, a complex project that Gunter was to lead and complete successfully. At about the same time, questions were being raised about the way projects were generally managed in Nycomed. Why were there four different ways of training people to lead projects? Surely some consistency could be introduced that would bring obvious efficiencies and other benefits? They were questions that were to bring about the Project Management Network (PMN), a growing avenue for Nycomed people to learn how to undertake projects in a consistent way, using common tools or templates developed by the company that are appropriate to their project.
34 Closer
Autumn 2006
Autumn 2006
Closer 35
‘The PMN strengthens competences and aims to get consistency across the organisation, - WHO SAID This?
The portal is the starting point for training. As well as the documents and templates for the project - what Annette calls the “hard skills” - there are sections on effective team work and leadership (the “soft skills”). Workshops, lectures and exercises are also part of the package, which is designed to optimise contributions in a team. “The training is for project members and not just project leaders. An advanced training course is being developed that we plan to introduce in 2007,” she says. Testimonials to the effectiveness of the PMN are not difficult to find. Gunter, Director of Technical Management, Operations Austria, says he benefited from the informal contacts he had as the network was developing. “In 2002, Folke Flateland, who was then the PMN Chairman, supported me in setting up the right organisation.” Gunter’s involvement in Project NEXT led him to become a member of the PMN core team,
The projects can range in size and subject - after all, not many get to the size of investment that Gunter managed - and the tools apply
which today has a total of ten representatives from Operations, Marketing, IS/IT, IPD and HR.
across the business groups in the company. As well as training in these
Gunter explains: “I’m responsible for all investment projects in Aus-
tools, the PMN, in co-operation with the Nycomed Academy, offers
tria, big and small - down to a value of, say, €10,000. As well as Project
people who are project leaders or members of a project team or steering
NEXT I have experienced smaller projects where a team is not necessarily
group ways of sharing their experiences for their own benefit as well as
involved, but where common rules are still needed. Having this experience
for the company’s.
means that somebody who is taking on a project - especially a large one
The network doesn’t have a membership list as such, and those who
- can contact me to hear my experiences.”
take part say it is a great way of networking and meeting new Nycomed
Katrin Madisoo, In-licensing Manager for the Baltic States, has at-
colleagues, particularly through the annual symposium organised by the
tended all four symposiums since they started in 2003 and is using the
PMN and Nycomed Academy. However, it is a mistake to think from this
PMN templates, specifically for new product launches.
that the network is unorganised or some sort of informal group promoting their ways of working. Quite the opposite.
“I like the symposiums,” says Katrin, who is based in Estonia. “After the first one, I knew I had to return because it was such a good opportunity
The PMN is mandated by the Nycomed Executive Committee and
to meet colleagues, something that we in the Baltics cannot do very often.
is sponsored by Hans Arvid Danielsson, Senior Vice President of HR/IS&IT,
We don’t have a good overview of what is going on in other Nycomed
Charles Depasse, Senior Vice President of Operations, and Alejandra Mørk,
countries as far as project management is concerned. If I do not attend the
Senior Vice President, IPD. It is currently chaired by Martin Gormsen, Vice
symposiums I would find difficulty in contacting the right person.”
President, International Project Development and Management, which is part of IPD (PMN has a annual rotating chairmanship). So how does the PMN work in practical terms and ‘what’s in it for me’? How has it benefited those who have been involved, for example project leaders from the Baltic States and Russia?
In Russia, Ksenja Chelnokova, Head of the Business Intelligence Group, took part in PMN training in Munich in February 2006. She says one aspect that struck her was the clear improvement in efficiency of the different groups as the training progressed. “Project work today is the most efficient tool for decision making,
Annette Ajslev, Project Leader, IPD, says “The PMN strengthens
because it unites people who are the experts in certain areas of busi-
and trains project members in project working and upgrades their com-
ness, stimulates them for team work and generates new ideas,” Ksenja
petences, and it sets out to get consistency across the organisation in how
says. “This results in mutual understanding of the next steps in a project’s
we do projects.”
implementation. Thanks to the PMN, many of us have a great opportunity
There are two main strands to the PMN approach: the training,
today to brush up our skills.”
which includes introductions to common tools or templates and other
So what of the future? The network is growing as increasing numbers
practical methods; and the symposium, where 30 to 40 project leaders
of Nycomed people experience the training and attend the symposiums.
gather to talk about their project, to view posters on projects, and to hear
Annette also points to an additional strengthening of the infrastructure.
presentations from external consultants on subjects such as how to work
“We will have more tool boxes - for example, an inspiration toolbox
with different cultures.
where best practice can be filed and where anybody in Nycomed can
“The symposium is an annual session where project leaders can
contribute their experiences. It would be great if we can share that sort
get inspiration and share knowledge on how to do projects in Nycomed,”
of knowledge. The PMN is not just about networking - though there is
says Annette. “As well as the external consultants taking part, we have
fun in this, of course. At its heart, it is about increasing competences and
presentations on Nycomed such as one from our affiliate in Russia on the
efficiencies. That has to be good for Nycomed.”
business in that country.” The symposiums are held in either Denmark or
Fact box: Representation of Nycomed’s project organisation in PMN
So when a project comes your way, you know the answers are out
Sweden, with the next one due to be held in June 2007.
there. You know who to call.
36 Closer
Autumn 2006
Name Position Operations Karin Andersen Integration Director and Vice President, Operations Projects Gunter Baumgartner Director, Technical Management and Deputy to Vice President Marketing Peder Brandhof Business Support Director Kristina Segerborg Business Director IS/IT Anders Sulbæk Portfolio Manager, Group IS/IT IPD Martin Holst Gormsen Vice President, IPDM Annette Ajslev Project Leader, IPDM Anna-Marie Jørgensen Project Assistant, IPDM HR Marit Imeland Gjesme International HR Director Georgy Soustin PR & Communications Director Autumn 2006
Area Operations Operations Austria
Marketing & Sales, Northern and Western Europe Marketing & Sales Demand Management, Group IS/IT IPD IPD IPD International HR Nycomed Russia-CIS Closer 37
NOTICE ANYTHING DIFFERENT? Do you ever look at a colleague and think that there’s something different about them? And after a few seconds you realise that it’s because they just had their hair cut? Well, it’s just the same with typefaces. You look at some text and feel that something has changed but it’s difficult to say what it is. Perhaps you’ve having that experience right now? No prizes now for guessing that Closer has a new typeface. Now that you’re looking, the first thing you might notice is that, well, it hasn’t changed that much. Nycomed Gill is based on the typeface that we already use called Gill Sans. The differences are subtle but there are there nonetheless. Look closer and you might notice some subtle changes. To increase legibility, the letters and characters each have their own unique shape. Just one example is that there’s no confusion now when writing the number ‘1’ and the capital letter ‘I’ and the lowercase letter ‘l’. 30 Closer
Market focus
There are many more changes if you look for them. The spacing of the letters has been improved, so words never look cramped or squashed. Nycomed Gill is also slightly narrower, so we can fit more words onto the page. Finally it is a bit lighter than Gill Sans, meaning that the characters have less thickness to them.
“You wouldn’t share your logo with another company, and it’s getting that way with type. Companies are starting to use typefaces to express their identity,” says Mark. “And while the launch of Nycomed Gill puts us ahead of the game for now -- you can expect our competitors to catch up over the next few years.”
“Type has two functions,” says Mark Stevens, Nycomed’s Creative Director. “It needs to get the message across, so it has to be easy to read. It also has to have a voice, a unique personality. Think of this as safety and efficacy. Typeface legibility is like safety – it should cause no problems. The ‘voice’ is like efficacy – it should have an effect on the reader.”
Right now Nycomed Gill is only intended for printed materials and can be used together with, or instead of, Gill Sans. Arial remains our computer system’s typeface, so that’s the one to use in Word, Powerpoint and other Microsoft programmes or the internet. In the future, though, Nycomed Gill might be introduced in these areas too.
The voice of the new typeface, Nycomed Gill, was designed to be uniquely Nycomed’s by taking elements from the company’s logo. When put together with the improvements to Gill Sans, the end result is a typeface that is elegant, intelligent and highly legible.
Nycomed’s advertising or graphics agencies can download Nycomed Gill themselves from www.nycomed-share.com. It is available in three weights: regular, bold and italic. If it proves popular, different alphabets will be produced so it can be used in Eastern Europe and Russia-CIS.
spring 2006
Five things you should know about Nycomed Gill 1. It is based on Gill Sans, the typeface we already use, so the change isn’t dramatic 2. We own it completely, so we never have to pay any license fees to use it 3. Nycomed Gill is for professionally printed materials like the Annual Report, Closer, corporate advertising, etc. 4. It is clear, legible, easy to use and condensed so we can fit more words on the page 5. Nycomed Gill strengthens our visual brand
spring 2006
Market focus
Closer 31
special offer: buy your free gifts “There was a joke going around that our pan-European company should be called the ‘pen’-European company because Nycomed has so many different pen designs,” says Mark Stevens, Creative Director, Corporate Communications. “OK, not a great joke, but it got us thinking. We wanted to see if we could produce some high quality promotional items that were cheaper as a result of our bulk purchasing arrangements.” The results can be seen this Autumn on the Portal. At the brand new online store, the promotional items can be viewed and then purchased though an electronic ordering system. All the items are Nycomed branded and are organised into three categories: ‘business’, ‘health’ and ‘Europe’. “There are all the classic items you would expect, along with a bit of weirdness,” says Mark. “So there are yoga mats and inflatable exercise balls along with pens, t-shirts and cups. If the range proves popular, we’ll consider expanding it. For now, we’re going to see what people order and we’ll use the insights to improve our designs for next time.”
32 Closer
Summer 2006
Summer 2006
Closer 33
When Nycomed assumed 100% ownership of Oy Leiras Finland, the company also took on the logistical problem of transferring Leiras’ portfolio products from Schering at Turku in southwest Finland to Nycomed production facilities in Denmark, Austria and Belgium, and at the same time set up a brand new laboratory at Nycomed’s Ekenäs plant in Finland – all under the Sini project umbrella.
SINI PROJECT ON SCHEDULE The Sini project group, consisting of top operations people in Denmark, Belgium, Austria and Finland, was set up in March 2005 to ensure the safe and efficient transfer of products whilst maintaining a good relationship with Schering Finland, and according to Projects Vice President Karin Andersen, who runs the day to day operations of Sini and also heads the management relationship group with Schering, the whole process has progressed very smoothly. “The project is on schedule and we’ve definitely benefited from the experience gained from a previous product transfer project, Origo,” she said. “The only real problem has been the lack of correct specifications for certain products and raw materials. We’re dealing with old products and old files, but we’ve managed to come up with some innovative solutions.” The part one transfer of tablets, to Denmark and Belgium, will be almost finalised by the end of this year, and part two by the end of 2007. The laboratory at Ekenäs is up and running, while all analysis of ampoules and vial products has been transferred to Linz in Austria and all necessary updates almost completed. Karin Andersen praises employees at plants in Belgium, Denmark, Finland and Austria who have taken on the extra work load, and the professionalism of the project team. She says, “Considering that we’re working across different borders and cultures, cooperation has been excellent. A lot of discussions have taken place but I feel we’ve all become more aware and have learnt from each other. There’s still a lot of work to be done but the enthusiasm, energy and ideas are there to ensure that we’re well on the way to reaching the goals set for the project.” MARKET FOCUS
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SINI PROJECT Quality investments When Nycomed assumed full control of Leiras in 2003 all Quality Control (QC) and product maintenance work was carried out by Schering in Turku. It was decided to transfer all these functions to Nycomed in Ekenäs. However, laboratory facilities had to be built from scratch. The new facility, costing an estimated € 350,000 in construction costs and an additional € 500,000 for equipment, will achieve stand-alone status by the end of the year. Take a look inside . . .
MARKET FOCUS
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AROUND EUROPE As usual we give a taste of what’s been happening in our markets recently. From new launches to congresses, from new people to new products, you’ll find it all if you take a closer look.
Norway: Following the Norwegian Medical Association’s publication ’Warfarin treatment in practice’, the editors of the brochure suggested Nycomed support a symposium on safer anticoagulation treatment. The meeting took place in September with 125 delegates and nine speakers in attandance. Norway’s Hospital team also arranged an anticoagulant workshop for hospital specialists in Tromsø in conjunction with the University of Northern Norway. The Nycomed share of the generic paroxetine market in Norway is now around 50%, while the recently launched pravastatin has achieved market share of 38%. Additionally, Nycomed has now launched generic ondansetron and all pharmacy chains have chosen Nycomed as their supplier.
Sweden: Sweden continued its support of TachoSil by supporting a symposium at the annual surgical week where 1,000 delegates could learn about one year of experience with the product and hear about the launch of the small- and medium-sized patches. They also had a presence at the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery meeting in Barcelona, Spain. Separately, nine centres have now enrolled in the STAR study.
UK & Ireland: The UK achieved its best sales for both TachoSil and Angiox in the month of August, with both hospital specialist teams working hard to gain formularies and developing relationships with primary target customers. Launch plans for Matrifen and Preotact are also being put in place with marketing planning, recruitment and partnering meetings.
AROUND EUROPE
Switzerland:
Baltic States:
Russia/CIS:
In early October, Switzerland launched Calcimagon-D3 in new orange and
Estonian and Latvian PCI centres are actively participating in Angiox ImproveR
Nycomed was ranked fifth among manufacturers (retail and hospital sales) in
peppermint flavours. With a 58% market share right now, the new flavours
registry. By mid September the number of patients enrolled was up to 32. Xefo
Russia in the first half of the year with market share reaching 2.61%, supported
will support this successful franchise.
sales are growing well, up 45% on last year. Ketoconazol shampoo – the result
by Actovegin. Agreement was reached with Grupo Ferrer (Spain)to market
of local Baltic in-licensing activities – was successfully launched. The Baltic sales
Citicholine under the name Ceraxon in Russia/CIS. The deal strengthens
Italy:
and marketing teams gathered together for a three-day meeting. Finally,
Nycomed’s position in the Neurology market. The company launched a new
The Angiox launch conference took place with guest speaker Professor
Nycomed became the first pharmaceutical company in the Baltic states to
Calcium-D3 campaign encouraging younger women to start osteoporosis
Colombo discussing his experience in the US and with the Acuity study.
recruit special key account managers to cover the increasingly important
prevention earlier. Finally, Russia/CIS held its sales and marketing conference in
Overall, feedback from the launch was extremely positive.
pharmacy chains.
Spain with more than 400 people attending.
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AUTUMN 2005
AROUND EUROPE
NYCOMED BY NUMBERS 58,000 PROMOTIONAL ITEMS WERE PRODUCED FOR THE LAUNCH OF TACHOSIL THROUGHOUT EUROPE. NYCOMED APPEARED IN 91 MEDIA ARTICLES DURING Q3 THIS YEAR. THE DANISH NYCOMED WEBSITE RECEIVED 22,203 HITS IN Q3. THERE WERE 2 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE NEW-LOOK CLOSER MAGAZINE. IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF THE YEAR, NYCOMED PRODUCED 605,000,000 CALCIUM TABLETS IN LEMON FLAVOUR ALONE. IN JANUARY THIS YEAR THERE WAS JUST ONE EMPLOYEE IN NYCOMED UK, TODAY THERE ARE 21. IN 2003, NYCOMED USED 1,155.6 KILOMETERS OF ALUMINIUM FOIL IN THE PRODUCTION OF ITS BLISTER PACKS. 325 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE RUSSIA-CIS MARKETING & SALES CONFERENCE IN TURCLOSER
WINTER 2004
CLOSER TOGETHER ISSUE #04
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A MUSCOVITE IN LONDON A young female Russian business professional enjoying an internship at one of the world’s leading PR agencies in London – it’s the latest example of an innovative project coming out of Nycomed Russia and a great experience for Larisa Tupitsyna, PR & Communication Manager. Nycomed management in Russia reacted positively to Larisa’s initial suggestion of spending a couple of days at a local PR agency in an effort to boost her own, and ultimately the company’s, public relations expertise. However, much to her surprise, what was originally envisaged as a two to three day training course in Moscow ultimately materialised into a two-week internship at one of the world’s largest PR companies, Edelman in London. “I approached management with my idea that I wanted to gain practical knowledge and hands-on experience of all aspects of PR, not just the simple basics, and they were extremely supportive,” says Larisa. “We established contact to Edelman who just asked for my CV and a list of objectives and then told me to get on a plane as soon as possible.The next thing I knew I was living in the heart of London, between Piccadilly and Leicester Square and lapping up the intensity and buzz of the English capital.” In her role as a health industry professional, Larisa spent half of her stay with Edelman concentrating on healthcare clients and the remainder in the consumer and corporate departments. In what became an intensive ‘in at the deep end’ experience, her two-week internship consisted of involvement in daily contact with key accounts reviewing diverse issues such as media relations, press events, product launches, road shows and conference and crisis management – issues that are everyday PR occurrences for major western multinationals but are relative recent activities in Russia. Larisa is eager to stress the vitality and ideas that can emerge from a creative atmosphere. “I was invited to participate in several brainstorming sessions and was able to witness how creative energy allied with team spirit produces results. I feel that I now have the ability to formulate a set of demands to Nycomed’s local PR agency in Moscow and in addition have acquired knowledge of alternative PR methods that can be applied to improve the brand name and marketing of the company.” Larisa is in no doubt that a similar internship or alternative job placement in another country would benefit many Nycomed
employees striving to gain experience and knowledge of new techniques and ideas that they aren’t familiar with in their own territories. “As long as the information and expertise on offer can be used across borders, and can be adapted to local Nycomed territories, then my advice to anybody would be yes, just go ahead and do it. You’ll be rewarded both professionally and personally. I have dreamt all my life of seeing the dreaming spires of Oxford and thanks to President of Nycomed Russia Jostein Davidsen and Marketing Director Dmitry Sanaev it came true. My next goal is to repay them by fully mastering the art of public relations and I can’t wait to implement some of the ideas I learnt in London.”
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WINTER 2004
CLOSER TOGETHER ISSUE #04
CLOSER
RESULT ORIENTATION * Being proactive * taking initiatives * being target-oriented * showing ability to act
THE ART OF GETTING SCIENTISTS TO COMMUNICATE
LEADERSHIP IPD started its focus on communications - which affects both internal and external relationships -- at a series of workshops held in spring.The move came after an analysis of communication in IPD and between it and its partners pointed to the need for improvement. It showed that improvement of leadership and co-operation in IPD was a prerequisite for any fundamental improvement in communication. So the IPD management team decided to use the Nycomed Leader As a Role Model as the basis for improving these skills throughout IPD. A top-down process was initiated in February and now all imployees are getting involved. The drive is to be intensified with follow-up seminars, special functional and departmental meetings and a ‘milestone session’ in mid-December set to assess progress. Human Resources Manager Conny Ditlevsen says, “Each department in IPD will follow an implementation plan, some will conduct their own seminars, others will operate in teams or conduct team-building schemes, others will hold meetings. Coaches in communication will be appointed and progress will be assessed at the end of the year.” PROGRESS Other departments are also working on improving communication but IPD’s campaign has been something of a pioneer within the organisation. With 140 staff, IPD plays a key role in Nycomed with responsibility for the development and life-cycle management of international products. “The challenge is getting a group of scientists to communicate with each other and operate efficiently in a business environment,” IPD Senior Vice President Alejandra Mørk says. “This is not just a question of ‘talk’, it is up to us to make this work. We want to make use of Nycomed’s leadership principles, which we believe are good guidance not only for management but also for good cooperation between staff generally.” TRUST AND EMPATHY “The analysis has brought general agreement about the challenge, but there were some contradictory views,” Alejandra said.
Communication – the act or instance of communicating, the imparting or exchange of information, ideas or feelings – is one word which is the same in numerous languages.Yet its successful practice and exercise cannot be taken for granted. “It’s not just Nycomed that has this problem, staff in other companies also experience difficulty communicating with each other,” said Aase Helles, Vice President Intellectual Property Rights at the launch meeting of International Product Development’s (IPD) Leadership, Cooperation and Communication campaign. “It reflects the situation in society generally, we suffer from a lack of communication in this so-called era of communication with its range of ever more rapid means of contact such e-mails, mobile telephones, text messages and the like,” she added. “But people do not seem able to listen to each other any more, how can we communicate with each other if we don’t listen to each other?”
CLOSER
AUTUMN 2005
MOTIVATION * encouraging initiatives * showing commitment to others * inspiring others through a shared visiion * having a continuous two-way communication
TRUST * keeping to agreements * being honest and sincere * accepting to be challenged * showing loyalty and courage
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EMPATHY * listening * showing respect * showing understanding * giving credit/recognition
IPD staff saw themselves as competent scientists but admitted that they could do better in getting their message out and improving their image. A need for better leadership was identified as a requirement, as was closer collaboration and cooperation within the department. Each department is working on improving collaboration and the way they get their message out, looking into good practice criteria and ways of performing better for Nycomed and contributing through cooperation, conviction and motivation to the joint corporate effort. A check-list for using the leadership principles has been prepared and a ‘Target Profile’ for IPD has been created as a memory-aid and a goal to achieve. ROLE MODELS “According to the leadership principles, leaders should act as role models by being result-oriented, creating motivation and showing trust and empathy,” Lutz Hegemann, then Vice President International Medical Affairs said. “Demotivated people do not produce good results, the full commitment of all is required. Management by fear achieves nothing. Employees are the company’s most important resource, so relations and communication between the leadership and staff should be a priority. If my superior listens to me, it makes me want to talk, leadership does not necessarily have to be management in a hierarchical sense, mutual respect is called for, there is something in this for all of us,” he concluded. “As we all know it is much easier to agree on what ‘good behaviour’ is than to improve it ourselves in practice -- it takes time and effort to improve. Good internal communication and flexibility are vital for the success of our business.” As Aase Helles puts it,“The process is ever evolving. Principles must be put into practice, we must move together, share what we learn, improvement areas must be identified, leadership principles translated into daily working situations, blockers and drivers for the process discussed and best practices shared and put into practice.”
AUTUMN 2005
CLOSER
ringtone
ri
ringtone
L
Love my
ove me, L Love m e, my e n e o v y m t o g L n i r Love ringtone
Anyone who’s ever had dealings with Nycomed Spain’s MD Lide
of the Valkyre’ from the film Apocalypse Now (“I love the smell of Tacho-
Verdugo knows she is a woman who ‘shoots from the hip,’ so it
Sil in the morning”). Or Ana Crespo in Spain, who likes to brighten up her
comes as no surprise to learn that her personal mobile phone
colleagues’ day with the theme from the ‘Pink Panther’ – she thinks. Line
ringtone is the theme from Sergio Leone’s classic western ‘Hang ‘em High’.
Østergaard Nielsen at Taastrup, Denmark admits to having no technical
A direct insight into her business philosophy? Or an effort to intimidate
prowess, but if she did she’d download “that whistling tune from ‘Kill Bill’“
any male who enters the oestrogen-dominated office in Madrid, where
– her colleagues must be whistling with relief as they read this.
, e m Love Love my ringtone
People may believe that downloading a personal ringtone onto their mobile reveals something about their personality or ‘hipness’ factor, but a pan-European survey of Nycomed employees reveals a general consensus about one thing: ‘smart’ ringtones are really irritating.
Love me, Love my ringtone
13 out of the 16 employees are women? Some employees like to adapt their ringtones according to who is callANNOYING
ing, thereby doubling, or even tripling, the irritation factor. Like Rolf Hay
At corporate HQ, legal secretary Bernadette Julie Grandjean was actually
in Norway whose normal ringtone, the heavy metal anthem ‘Ace of
asked to change her ringtone, Lenny Kravitz’s ‘American Woman’, because
Spades’ by Motorhead, transforms into soothing, traditional Norwegian
her boss, Nils Kjærgaard, though it was too annoying. In Spain, meanwhile,
folk songs about the fjords when he receives calls from his wife. (And an-
accountant Jesús Gil was politely requested to find an alternative to ‘La
swers on a postcard please. Which of those two would you find the most
Cucaracha’ – a melodic little number that must have livened up endless
irritating?) Or music lover Sigrid Leutgeb-Pauk in Austria, who employs
budget meetings.
a ‘triple whammy’ – a prelude from Bach for private calls, REM’s ‘Everybody Hurts’ for VIPs and ‘Hell’s Bells’ by AC/DC for normal business calls
And what possessed sensible, self-appointed ‘style guru’ Mark Stevens, Cre-
– work that one out.
ative Director at Corporate Communications and directly responsible for the visual corporate image that Nycomed presents to the outer world, to
Sold his soul for...law
compose this gem of a ringtone, the continually repeated monotone ‘Pick
But if you enjoy hearing heavy metal themes reduced to a tinny, annoying
up the phone, Pick up the phone, Pick up the . . .’ – a message deemed so
ringtone, look no further than Nycomed’s answer to Bruce Springsteen,
irritating by his office colleagues that they threatened to pick up a hammer
Torbjörn Hallberg, lead guitarist in Nycomed’s very own rock band, Los
if he didn’t remove it. The mood at Corporate Communications wasn’t
Nycos. If anything sums up the whole ringtone phenomenon it’s the image
improved when colleague Mark Watkins, replaced the soothing tones of
of corporate lawyer Torbjörn, a veteran of the ‘big hair’ soft-rock scene
‘You’re Just Too Good to be True’ with The Jam’s ‘A Town Called Malice’,
of the 80’s, giving it his all on the air guitar as ‘Breaking the Law’ by Judas
a ‘hipness’ message soon drowned out by the sound of gnashing teeth
Priest or ‘Message of Love’ by Jimi Hendrix booms out from his Nokia. n
Love
m e, my Love ringtone
from agitated workmates.
István Wiedemann, General Manager in Hungary, who uses Wagner’s ‘Ride
The Taste Test. Personal taste, good or bad, is in the eye (or ear) of the beholder. Many Nycomed employees who dismiss all ringtones as annoying have no qualms about transforming a beautiful piece of classical music by Wagner or Beethoven into a crappy, one-chord ringtone. You know who you are.
12 Closer
Winter 2006
It’s all about me Somebody once said that ‘music is the soundtrack of your life’, so why not download your favourite film theme and let everybody participate. Like
Winter 2006
Closer 13
When you drop your kids off at school, you want them to be well cared for, nurtured and encouraged so that they emerge into the world as confident and successful adults. The same is true of Nycomed’s ’children’ – its development projects. And before you drop your kids off, you usually have some pretty tough questions for the school’s head teacher. Step forward to the Hot Seat Alejandra Mørk, Senior Vice President of International Product Development (IPD).
How would you describe your role? A leader and a team player. As a leader I ensure IPD has a vision, clear targets,
and then add that it is important for them that IPD not only focuses on the
a good spirit, competent people and strong relationships. As a team player
Big Five markets but also involves the established markets in pan-European
I want to contribute to the development of Nycomed.
activities such as clinical development.
Why do we need in-house development capabilities?
What about International Marketing (IM)… how does
To make sure that Nycomed can introduce new products to the market. TachoSil
that relationship work?
was developed by Nycomed. Matrifen was initiated by Nycomed -- we found
We have a very close relationship. In the development phase the Interna-
a partner to develop the patch and we did the rest. And, although Preotact tional Product Manager works closely together with the Project Leader and was developed by NPS Pharmaceuticals, the product would not have made
the Medical Advisor to agree the overall strategy for the product. From
it to the European market without our part in the regulatory process.
launch, IM takes the lead on life-cycle management which, in turn, defines a lot of IPD’s activities.
It is also important to realise that the launch of a new product is not the end
Hot Seat
Alejandra Mørk
of product development. Nycomed has to continue deliver new clinical re-
Does having an in-licensing strategy pose any particu-
sults, to improve the product, to optimise production, to obtain and maintain
lar challenges for development?
further regulatory approvals and to strengthen and defend patents.
Development is always challenging! One of the challenges of in-licensing is developing your product in co-operation with another company.In ad-
IPD has had a pretty successful few years, what have
dition to all your internal discussions and decisions about what to do with
been the highlights?
the product, you also have to agree with a partner about what to do and
In three years, we have obtained EMEA approvals for TachoSil and Preotact how to do it. and first national approvals for Matrifen and Zycomb. We have also provided The Medicines Company with substantial support for the EMEA approval of
What are your ambitions for the department?
Angiox. In clinical development, the contribution of more than 4,000 patients I think we could contribute to the development of the company to an even greater extent than we already do. For example, by identifying more oppor-
to the ACUITY study is something I am extremely proud of.
tunities for line extentions and extended indications. We can also contribute Do you think we have right the balance of support for much more to Russia-CIS in areas like clinical development and registration. international versus local products?
I’d also like to see IPD contributing more to the identification of new product
IPD focuses on supporting the key international products -- the new and candidates through our network of specialist and resarch organisations. established international products that form the basis for building a panEuropean company, and I think that is right. In addition, IPD takes care of What is Nycomed’s leadership team like? Does it work marketing authorisations for all products registered in more than one coun-
well as a team?
try and must handle safety monitoring and reporting for all products, so for This is a team with a lot of mutual respect and a lot of humour. We speak with each other if not daily then at least weekly. I have the closest working
those two areas we take it all -- local or international.
relationship with Corporate Business Development and Export, and also with What do you think the people in the markets would say
Operations and International Marketing. We are all available for each other
about IPD?
-- either to solve a problem or for inspiration and reflection.
I think the newer markets would say that IPD supports them with regulatory and medical issues. They would also say that they need more support
How do you relax?
than they get and that for a small local company it can be challenging to I cook the dinner, I read a good book and I play piano at home with my work with a relatively big and complex organisation in Denmark. If you ask family around. the more established markets they would probably say some of the same Closer
Summer 2006
Summer 2006
Closer
Heritage plays an important role in the Iberian psyche, whether it’s the fans who flock to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home to European football’s most successful club, Real Madrid, or the stunning architecture, as in the Praça do Comercio in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon 16 Closer
Winter 2006
Winter 2006
Closer 17
Excitement is growing ahead of the launch of osteoporosis treatment Preotact in Spain and Portugal early in 2007. “I am looking forward to the launch of Preotact and think it will benefit my patients,” says Dr Antonio Torrijos, Rheumatologist at Madrid’s Hospital General La Paz 18 Closer
Winter 2006
Winter 2006
Closer 19
Cristina Tobar from the Instituto Palacios in Madrid uses a ‘Densitometro’ to evaluate an osteoporosis patient. Dr Santiago Palacios, director of the Instituto, where an international phase III Preotact trial is taking place, stresses the importance of explaining the use of the treatment to patients, and encourages them to ask questions 20 Closer
Winter 2006
Winter 2006
Closer 21
A Preotact pen in use. The product’s imminent launch follows the successful introduction of TachoSil in Spain and Portugal in February 2006, and will be followed by the launch of Matrifen later in 2007, as Nycomed aims to tap into the countries’ huge pain relief markets 22 Closer
Winter 2006
Winter 2006
Closer 23
The modern ‘Torres Kio’ twin towers in Madrid contrast where Cristina Tobar (left) practices and Dr Santiago Palacios is director. Patricia Laguarta (right), Regional Sales Manager at Nycomed Spain, says: “We are busy building relationships with doctors, but also with nurses, as they are the people who spend most time with patients” 24 Closer
Winter 2006
Winter 2006
Closer 25
Meeting common needs The Nycomed Academy is designed not only to meet the common needs of the group’s local operating companies, but also to be a tool for the implementation of corporate culture, leadership values, and various professional competencies.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS
It currently has a total of 15 courses either running or in development, ranging from one-day seminars to 10-day programmes. They cover four distinct areas – Management & Leadership, Marketing & Sales, Specialist Programmes and Motivation & Human Relations. “The first two are the key areas for Nycomed’s future success and a common need for all our markets,” says Marit Imeland Gjesme,
Around 60 product managers have now successfully passed through the Nycomed Academy’s International Marketing Training programme. But how does this help them in their day to day roles? Words: Nick Reed
Corporate Human Resources Director. “We are totally dependent
The International Marketing
on successful leadership and getting the full potential out of all
Training champions are:
our employees, as well as the excellence of our marketing plans/
Jurga Barkauskaite Lithuania
activities and sales results. Different Specialist Programmes and
Tatiana Bobrova
CIS
increased quality in Motivation and Human Relations are necessary and
Geert Butstraen
Belgium
complementary supporting areas for personal development and skills
Nadia de Wolf
Belgium
in both fact-based and people-oriented areas. Together, the four
Franky Schelkens Belgium
pillars of Nycomed Academy are designed to strongly support us in
Yulia Sidorova
Ukraine
fulfilling the strategy and reach our objectives.”
If you want to fully understand the process involved in getting a new prod-
learned through a case study, they then come together for a second week
me clearly and objectively understand the most important segments for
right segment. You must focus every day on your strategy and your prof-
uct to market, then growing sales when it’s there, you could do a lot worse
in Tallinn or Amsterdam to make interim work presentations and look
product development, while the financial element has massively improved
itability, and find those points of difference that will make you stand out
than picture it as a spider’s web. A wide range of disparate functions, from
more closely at areas such as brand vision and positioning, critical success
my abilities in the estimation of profit and appropriate levels of expenses.
in an over-communicated society.”
research and development to sales and marketing, legal, regulatory, finance
factors and the marketing mix.
Perhaps most critical of all is the use of tried and tested, consistent statisti-
and others, link up in a tight-knit network, with each contributing in various
“One aim of the programme is to achieve a high degree of consistency in
cal processes to reveal the key factors for success. I am now able to assess
All these principles have been applied in the recent launch of Prefemin
degrees to the formation and implementation of strategies and plans.
product management around the group,” explains Marit Imeland Gjesme,
these logically, rather than simply trust my own intuition.”
for the relief of premenstrual syndrome symptoms, Yurga says.
Corporate Human Resources Director. “We have product managers from At the heart of the web sits a product manager, whose job is to pull all
so many different countries and cultures that we want to ensure they have
Ukraine is one of Nycomed’s fastest growing markets: sales in 2006 are
Nycomed Belgium Product Manager, Franky Schelkens, is one of no fewer
those contributions together and, to put it bluntly, ensure the product is
a common, professional process for implementing launch and marketing
already up 60 % on 2005, and the plan is to continue growing by at least
than three IMT champions from his country. The IMT learnings have helped
a success. Pressure? You’d better believe it. Key role in a company? Well
plans. In theory, people should be able to move from one market to an-
30 % in the near future. “In this situation, the role of marketing manager
him enormously in the development of a recent marketing plan for pain
obviously… it would be a pretty redundant web if it didn’t have a spider
other, and network with each other using a common vocabulary.”
is really important, because I am responsible for developing the right
treatment Matrifen, he says, but he also sounds a note of caution.
in the middle!
strategy and positioning for each Nycomed brand,” Yulia says. “What I As marketing people are often highly competitive individuals by nature,
learned through IMT was invaluable when it came to the preparation of
“You can do a lot of good things with the training tools, but they can also
Recognising the valuable role played by product managers in its own or-
Nycomed has introduced an extra motivational dimension to the IMT
my 2007-2011 marketing plan.”
be dangerous. The opportunities to put your product on the top, beat the
ganisation, two years ago Nycomed introduced an International Marketing
programme. During their second week, individuals are evaluated against
Training (IMT) programme under the umbrella of the Nycomed Academy.
three different criteria: their active participation and contribution to the
Jurga Barkauskaite, OTC products manager for Nycomed Lithuania, is simi-
by 15 % are very attractive to marketers, but it’s not that easy,” he explains.
Developed and delivered in association with the MSI (Marketing Strategy
proceedings, how they solve, present and improve their case studies, and
larly enthusiastic. In such a rapidly-growing economy, she says, where new
“Nothing will happen automatically. You have to apply the tools properly
Implementation) consultancy, the programme is run for four separate
their performance in a multiple choice test. After these scores have been
companies and new products are entering the market every week, and
and make them work for you – in particular, basing your plan on extensive
groups a year, with around 10 to 12 product managers from different mar-
totted up, an overall IMT champion for each group is crowned.
local companies are supplying more and more products at significantly
market research – otherwise you could have a wrong plan.”
kets making up each group.
competition, double your sales in one year and increase the value per day
lower prices than multinationals, anything that helps her meet the chalIt is these champions who are perhaps best placed to comment on
Initially they come together for a week in Prague, to learn, discuss and
how valuable the course is to those taking part. Is it achieving its
evaluate issues ranging from simple definitions of a product manager and
desired results?
marketing, to more complex areas such as segmentation, internal and ex-
lenge is to be welcomed.
It’s not just the product managers who benefit from IMT, of course. “It’s good for Nycomed as a company, too,” says Marit Imeland Gjesme. “We
“The strongest thing I got from the programme was the understanding
get even more professional marketers than before, who are highly moti-
that success depends on how well you identify your customers and the
vated and loyal. Bringing people together like this in dynamic, cross-cul-
ternal analysis and segment-based strategy development. After a gap of
“I found it extremely useful,” says Yulia Sidorova, marketing manager,
needs of your end-user,” she explains. “For this, you must invest in mar-
tural groups is also the ideal way to achieve consistency across markets
four to six months, during which they can start embedding what they have
Nycomed Ukraine and Moldova. “IMT has provided the tools to help
ket research, support those needs with your brand value and choose your
and strengthen our culture.” n
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Winter 2006
Winter 2006
Closer 29
Winter 2006
Riding with ‘the Big Brothers’
30 Closer
There is only so much one sales representative can learn from another through a two-way conversation. As Nycomed Sweden’s Darko Spahic found, to really find out what makes them tick you have to join them on their sales calls. Words: Nick Reed The streets of New York have been the inspiration for a string of classic films and TV shows, from West Side Story and On the Town to Kojak and Hill Street Blues. For Nycomed Sweden hospital account manager, Darko Spahic, they are now also an inspiration in his job. Why? Because he’s recently returned from an enlightening fact-finding tour to the ‘Big Apple’, when he went ‘on the road’ in the company of local critical care specialists, Mike Kiss and Rich Harwell from The Medicines Company (TMC), to discover the secrets of their success in selling Angiox. Not quite Starsky and Hutch, maybe, but possibly Darko and Rich! Angiox has been available in the US (where it is called Angiomax) for the past five years. In that time, TMC has carved out a 41 % share of the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) market for the product, the first it has discovered and developed, while Sweden has secured a 30 % market share of the total Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) market in the two years it has been available as an in-licensed brand for Nycomed. Darko clearly felt there were valuable lessons to be learned. “Looking at the Angiox experience in the US is like looking at our future,” he explains. “I’d discussed the best ways of selling the product on a couple of occasions with Thierry Teil, Executive Director, International Partnerships at TMC, and I then raised the possibility of ‘riding with our big brothers’ for a couple of days. I really wanted to find out how they identified the needs of doctors, how they satisfied those needs, what kind of tools they used, what mindset and sales techniques they employed, how they handled objections, and generally what worked and what didn’t. Winter 2006
∂ Closer 31
used to leverage sales. They listen to the doctors’ needs, they don’t argue
“Clearly there are differences between what can be done in the US and what
with them, and they let them make the decisions. Their watchwords are
can be done in Sweden, so we can’t just change things overnight,” Darko
respect, empathy, humility, trust, patience and flexibility.”
says. “The guys there only have to submit one short report every month, for example, whereas we need to report on a daily basis. So we will never have
Mike’s recipe for success, as told to Darko, is to make ambassadors out of
as much time as them to develop relationships. But there is no reason why
his customers, then make those ambassadors his friends. Sales, he says, is
we can’t take a more personal, individual approach to our sales visits.”
an art, not an exact science. “I’d fully expected to meet aggressive sales guys straight out of Top Gun or Robocop. Instead my big brothers turned out to
Another goal, he says, is to utilise the contacts he has made to create an
be more like Tibetan monks, or schoolboys! But the results prove that their
unofficial ‘virtual reps network’, as a conduit for sharing best practice.
approach clearly works.”
Clearly Darko himself has gained a lot from his visit, but Nycomed Sweden overall will also benefit as a result. “Darko was the right person to do this
“The professionalism and deep product knowledge of
The real value of Darko’s New York experience, of course, will be deter-
kind of trip, because he likes to interact with people and he has the capacity
mined by how he can build these learnings – he calls them “revelations”
to vacuum up information,” says Per Rydingsvärd. “He has learned a lot about
– into his own professional approach, and in how he can pass them on to
how to communicate with different types of customers, and how to develop
his colleagues. He has already written a detailed report as a debrief for
emotional selling skills, and his task now is to not only use that in his own
the Nycomed Sweden Hospital Division, and he was due to make a pres-
calls, but also to pass the knowledge and skills on to his colleagues.
entation to the team as this issue of Closer went to press, complete with
“For me, another valuable benefit is the relationship it builds with TMC.
role-playing replicas of the sales calls he made.
We can never have too much information about the people who own Angiox, and this has opened a channel for us to tap into the thoughts of its executive directors.” n
both Mike and Rich was really impressive, for a start, but for me the most important learning was the way they deal with their customers” - Darko Spahic
Learning experience is a two-way process Darko Spahic is not the only one reflecting on how much has been learned after his recent visit to New York. Both of the TMC critical care specialists he accompanied also felt it was an education experience. “It was a pleasure to spend a few days with such a truly exceptional and professional sales representative as Darko,” says Rich Harwell. “His passion for his work, and his dedication to improving patient care, reflect the core values at The Medicines Company.” “I have learned that there were more similarities than differences in
“The PCI community is global,” he adds. “Heart disease is the same wherever
to visit TMC’s New Jersey headquarters, where he met members of the
our jobs. We share many of the same challenges, and have come up with
you are in the world, and doctors use the same materials, education and
marketing department and Fred Bass, Senior Director of Sales and Train-
many similar approaches to these challenges. I was surprised to learn how
studies. So why shouldn’t they use the same drugs? I felt that somehow
ing, who gave him a book called The Sales Success, which is basically the
much we really do have in common. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience
the US had to be doing something that made the difference.
company’s ‘Angiomax Bible’.
with Darko, and I am especially thankful for our new friendship.”
Darko Spahic (right) and Rich Harwell outside Long Island University Hospital
Mike Kiss adds: “During his visit, Darko’s questions helped me re-
“On the ‘plane over to New York I watched the film, The Da Vinci Code…
The big question, though, is did Darko actually break the code?
evaluate my strategy and approach when dealing with costumers on a
I realised that what I was trying to crack was the Angiox Code!”
“I certainly came back with a whole host of new ideas,” he says. “The
daily basis. I enjoyed hearing his thoughts on addressing an objection
Darko’s boss, Per Rydingsvärd, Sales Manager in Nycomed Sweden’s Hospital
professionalism and deep product knowledge of both Mike and Rich was
we encountered, as well as the outside observation he brought on what
Divison, needed a little persuasion when he was first approached with the
really impressive, for a start, but for me the most important learning was
I do and how my customers react. And I think we worked well together
idea. “Yes, it seemed a strange request at first, because visits like this don’t
the way they deal with their customers. They build strong, personal rela-
as a team.
usually take place at representative level,” he admits. “But the more we
tionships with each person they meet – not just doctors, but also nurses
“My experiences with Darko have taught me that, as salesmen,
talked about it, the more it started to make sense. We had a team meet-
and secretaries. Everyone is treated as an individual… the reps know their
we all have our objections and obstacles throughout the sales process,
ing, and to make sure everyone was involved we gathered together all the
hobbies, their holiday destinations, and the names of their children, they
regardless of cultural differences. Darko came prepared with a few
questions we wanted answers to, ready for Darko to take with him.”
embrace them and talk to them as they would friends.
questions he asked me throughout his visit. By answering them, it made me think of the steps I take throughout the sales process, which came
The trip itself took place at the start of September. Two days were spent
“It is a more liberal environment than we enjoy in Sweden, of course,
naturally to me. Identifying the process by which I work has given me
travelling with Rich Harwell to Long Island University Hospital and Long
which means they have greater access to their customers through evening
insight on how I can improve my skills and helps me to think outside the
Island Jewish Hospital, another two with Mike Kiss to Staten Island Univer-
meetings and social activities. But that doesn’t mean it’s easier to sell, only
box. Having Darko with me was as much of a learning experience for me
sity Hospital and University Hospital of Brooklyn. Darko also found time
easier to build personal relationships. And it is these relationships that are
as I hope it was for him.”
32 Closer
Winter 2006
Michael Kiss completes a visit to University Hospital of Brooklyn. Winter 2006
Closer 33
a new model for project efficiency 34 Closer
Winter 2006
The Project Management Network is bringing consistency and increased efficiency to the way projects of various sizes are undertaken in Nycomed. There’s some fun involved as well. Words: Ian Royce Imagine you are asked to lead a project within Nycomed. It doesn’t matter what sort of project or what size. Where would you turn? How would you start? Who can help? A few years ago, the answers depended on what business group you were in - Operations, International Product Development (IPD), IS/IT or Marketing and Sales, for example - but today, things are different. Gunter Baumgartner is one person who has experienced these changes. In 2001, the Nycomed Board sanctioned a budget of €18 million for the extension of TachoSil production in Austria, a complex project that Gunter was to lead and complete successfully. At about the same time, questions were being raised about the way projects were generally managed in Nycomed. Why were there four different ways of training people to lead projects? Surely some consistency could be introduced that would bring obvious efficiencies and other benefits? They were questions that were to bring about the Project Management Network (PMN), a growing avenue for Nycomed people to learn how to undertake projects in a consistent way, using common tools or templates developed by the company that are appropriate to their project. The projects can range in size and subject - after all, not many get to the size of investment that Gunter managed - and the tools apply across the business groups in the company. As well as training in these tools, the PMN, in co-operation with the Nycomed Academy, offers people who are project leaders or members of a project team or steering group ways of sharing their experiences for their own benefit as well as for the company’s. Winter 2006
Closer 35
∂
The network doesn’t have a membership list as such, and those who take part say it is a great way of networking and meeting new Nycomed colleagues, particularly through the annual symposium organised by the PMN and Nycomed Academy. However, it is a mistake to think from this that the network is unorganised or some sort of informal group promoting their
Name Lasname, Titel titel
Name Lasname, Titel titel
ways of working. Quite the opposite. The PMN is mandated by the Nycomed Executive Committee and is
not just project leaders. An advanced training course is being developed
sponsored by Hans Arvid Danielsson, Senior Vice President of Human
that we plan to introduce in 2007,” she says.
Resources/IS&IT, Charles Depasse, Senior Vice President of Operations, and Alejandra Mørk, Senior Vice President, International Product Devel-
Testimonials to the effectiveness of the PMN are not difficult to find. Gunter,
opment (IPD). It is currently chaired by Martin Gormsen, Vice President,
Director of Technical Management, Operations Austria, says he benefited
International Project Development and Management, which is part of IPD
from the informal contacts he had as the network was developing. “In 2002,
(PMN has a annual rotating chairmanship).
Folke Flateland, who was then the PMN Chairman, supported me in setting up the right organisation.” Gunter’s involvement in Project NEXT led him to
So how does the PMN work in practical terms and ‘what’s in it for me’?
become a member of the PMN core team, which today has a total of ten
How has it benefited those who have been involved, for example project
representatives from Operations, Marketing, IS/IT, IPD and HR.
leaders from the Baltic States and Russia? Gunter explains: “I’m responsible for all investment projects in Austria, big Annette Ajslev, Project Leader, IPD, says “The PMN strengthens and trains
and small - down to a value of, say, €10,000. As well as Project NEXT
project members in project working and upgrades their competences, and it
I have experienced smaller projects where a team is not necessarily in-
sets out to get consistency across the organisation in how we do projects.”
volved, but where common rules are still needed. Having this experience
There are two main strands to the PMN approach: the training, which includes
means that somebody who is taking on a project - especially a large one
introductions to common tools or templates and other practical methods;
- can contact me to hear my experiences.”
and the symposium, where 30 to 40 project leaders gather to talk about their project, to view posters on projects, and to hear presentations from external
Katrin Madisoo, In-licensing Manager for the Baltic States, has attended all
consultants on subjects such as how to work with different cultures.
four symposiums since they started in 2003 and is using the PMN templates, specifically for new product launches.
NYCOMED’S PROJECT ORGANISATION Name Position Operations Karin Andersen Integration Director and Vice President, Operations Projects Gunter Baumgartner Director, Technical Management and Deputy to Vice President Marketing Peder Brandhof Business Support Director Kristina Segerborg Business Director IS/IT Anders Sulbæk Portfolio Manager, Group IS/IT IPD Martin Holst Gormsen Vice President, IPDM Annette Ajslev Project Leader, IPDM Anna-Marie Jørgensen Project Assistant, IPDM HR Marit Imeland Gjesme International HR Director Georgy Soustin PR & Communications Director
Area Operations Operations Austria
Marketing & Sales, Northern and Western Europe Marketing & Sales Demand Management, Group IS/IT IPD IPD IPD International HR Nycomed Russia-CIS
“The symposium is an annual session where project leaders can get inspiration and share knowledge on how to do projects in Nycomed,” says
“I like the symposiums,” says Katrin, who is based in Estonia. “After the
Annette. “As well as the external consultants taking part, we have pres-
first one, I knew I had to return because it was such a good opportunity to
entations on Nycomed such as one from our affiliate in Russia on the
meet colleagues, something that we in the Baltics cannot do very often.
business in that country.” The symposiums are held in either Denmark or
We don’t have a good overview of what is going on in other Nycomed
“Project work today is the most efficient tool for decision making, because it
will have more tool boxes - for example, an inspiration toolbox where best
Sweden, with the next one due to be held in June 2007.
countries as far as project management is concerned. If I did not attend the
unites people who are the experts in certain areas of business, stimulates them
practice can be filed and where anybody in Nycomed can contribute their
symposiums I would find difficulty in contacting the right person.”
for team work and generates new ideas,” Ksenja says. “This results in mutual
experiences. It would be great if we can share that sort of knowledge. The
understanding of the next steps in a project’s implementation. Thanks to the
PMN is not just about networking - though there is fun in this, of course.
The Portal is the starting point for training. As well as the documents and templates for the project - what Annette calls the ‘hard skills’ - there are
In Russia, Ksenja Chelnokova, Head of the Business Intelligence Group,
PMN, many of us have a great opportunity today to brush up our skills.”
At its heart, it is about increasing competences and efficiencies. That has
sections on effective team work and leadership (the ‘soft skills’). Workshops,
took part in PMN training in Munich in February 2006. She says one aspect
So what of the future? The network is growing as increasing numbers of
to be good for Nycomed.”
lectures and exercises are also part of the package, which is designed to
that struck her was the clear improvement in efficiency of the different
Nycomed people experience the training and attend the symposiums. An-
So when a project comes your way, you know the answers are out there.
optimise contributions in a team. “The training is for project members and
groups as the training progressed.
nette also points to an additional strengthening of the infrastructure. “We
You know who to call. n
36 Closer
Winter 2006
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HOT SEAT: POUL HAUKROG MØLLER Continuing our feature series, Poul Haukrog Møller, Vice President International Product Management, takes his place in the hot seat and give some straight answers to some tough questions. Shouldn’t the local markets decide the marketing strategy because they are closest to the customers? To a wide extend, yes. However, because Nycomed is becoming a pan-European company, we also need a coherent pan-European strategy. This is especially the case for our international strategic products. I think that everybody can agree the need of having a company strategy within important areas like investment level, product positioning, publication strategy and pricing. Just imagine how differentiated prices throughout Europe could damage our business. While acknowledging this overall need, it is equally important that each market tailor their local marketing mix to local needs which can differ substantially from market to market.
should structure and organise internal recruitment for key positions across functions and countries throughout Nycomed.
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Do we have the skills in the company to make a success of these big international products? Nycomed has developed very positively towards getting there and we have come a long way. But it is vital that we don’t lean back and think we are world champions. Our work on Angiox and TachoSil has been a valuable learning process for everybody. It is encouraging to see where we are now, compared to two or three years ago. In the near future, further focus will be put on implementing the Marketing Academy, refining and implementing relevant working processes, and last but not least, focussing resources on Do you think that the local markets had enough input in the to strategic products in due time and at sufficient level. So we branding concepts for Angiox and TachoSil? are continuing to develop and build our skills, which is the right We have a very good working process in place. This working approach in my view. process was run though so-called ‘international marketing task forces’, which consisted of product managers or marketing manag- Is Nycomed a hospital specialist company now? ers from a number of our offices throughout Europe.They were We are not there yet but, yes, this is the goal.There was a straheavily involved in giving feedback to both International Product tegic decision taken to focus on hospital-specialist products on a Management and the branding agency during the development pan-European basis. So it’s a fact that across Europe, we now start of both branding concepts. Everyone gave very valuable input providing certain hospital-specialist products. It’s also a fact that to the branding concepts. we provide general practitioner and OTC treatments in selected markets. So while we are focusing on hospital-specialist products How can Scandinavians really understand the situation in central, throughout Europe, it’s important to remember that we have eastern or southern Europe? other customers locally and they are also important to us. Listening! Simply by going there, talking with people, trying to I like claims that are backed up by proof, and I would expect understand the market dynamics, and get the various cultures us to have a proven successful track record as a hospital specialunder the skin. This is very much about curiosity and respect. I ist company within 12-24 months. would however like to focus also on another related question: How do you intend to secure that International Product Man- What happens if Angiox and TachoSil aren’t successful? agement understand the markets all over Europe? For Nycomed, failure is not an option, and it is important Here I think we need to go a step further and strive to attract that everyone involved focus on a positive mindset. As with any and employ skilful marketers from all regions of Europe. When launch, there will be a lot of challenges. But there is no doubt in recruiting people we are constantly looking for both Scandinavi- my mind: Angiox and TachoSil will be successful and contribute ans and non-Scandinavians and have recently employed a British extensively to the further development of Nycomed! citizen. On top of that, I think we have reached a point where we WINTER 2004
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WINTER 2004
HOT CHAIR