Medicine is evolving at a rapid pace, with new developments in areas such as organ transplantation and the treatment of rare diseases making this an exciting time for those working in the pharmaceutical industry.
At pharmaceutical company Chiesi, dedication to the research, development and sales of innovative, therapeutic prescription medicines is matched by a commitment to its people, with great emphasis on the importance of collaborative working, putting people first and exchanging knowledge.
Founded in 1935, this family business, headquartered in Parma, Italy, now spans the globe, employing more than 5,300 people in 26 affiliates worldwide and selling its products in more than 70 countries. The company’s commitment to helping employees build their careers is reflected by its investment in personal development to support them in progressing through clearly defined, transparent career path frameworks.
In the UK, Chiesi employs around 400 people and moved to new headquarters in 2015, located in Manchester. With a commitment to development, a group of future talent are currently going through a two-year talent development programme. Run in partnership with a top business school, the programme is designed to challenge individuals and provide them with the development they need to progress their careers at the company.
Associate brand manager Craig Harper, a delegate at the business school, has been with Chiesi for over eight years and is impressed by its dedication to staff training. “Allowing 15 or more members of staff significant time away from their day job to increase their knowledge of Chiesi across different functions is a positive investment of time and money and has encouraged great networking opportunities across the business,” he says.
A number of UK employees are also placed on Chiesi’s international talent development programme, stretching their experience beyond the UK. These development initiatives are in addition to the bespoke development offered to individuals to ensure their continued personal development and success.
Chiesi takes a responsible attitude to its social and environmental impact and a year ago launched a new corporate social responsibility programme. Chiesi is proud to sponsor six UK primary schools, funding free breakfast clubs, in order to promote better health and wellbeing for pupils, while facilitating improvements in learning. In the past year, Chiesi has also provided reading volunteers to after-school clubs, offered training resource, and donated additional funding, while also supporting employees with individual charity events, creating a real sense of community within the organisation.
Having worked across a variety of industries, HR business partner Kate Lenik has found her first eight months at Chiesi refreshing. “The company is extremely successful commercially, and from an employee experience point of view, very supportive and engaging,” she says. “The Chiesi community perfectly balances ambition and talent development with fun and laughter each day. Chiesi employees all share a passion for the work they do and recognise the importance of every role within the organisation. I’m looking forward to progressing my career at Chiesi and the variety of opportunities that are available,” says Lenik.
Chiesi’s global employee opinion survey revealed the UK business as among the top Chiesi affiliates in the group in terms of employee satisfaction. In 2016 the engagement score for Chiesi UK was 95%, a result that the director of HR and support services, Heather McColl, and the senior leadership team are extremely proud of.
“Chiesi employees work tremendously hard to create the success we have achieved and continue to achieve,” says McColl. “The repeated phrase in all of our employee survey results is, ‘the people make the place’, and this is very true of the spirit of Chiesi.”
Chiesi is also proud to have been awarded Top Employers UK and Top Employers Europe certification. Outlining his continued vision for Chiesi to be an aspirational employer, managing director Tom Delahoyde says: “I take great pleasure leading such a committed, talented and engaged workforce. Chiesi continues to surpass all expectations and this is attributed to the ongoing support from our corporate affiliate, the dedicated investment to R&D and not least our fantastic people.”
Chiesi continues to go from strength to strength, maintaining double-digit growth for eight consecutive years. Overall headcount continues to grow, increasing by 10% in 2016, helping to support the organisation’s ambitious plans and creating exciting development opportunities for talented employees.
As associate medical director Richard Blackwell points out, the Chiesi culture is one where innovation and professional excellence flourish. “Coming from the NHS into the pharmaceutical industry is a daunting prospect. Chiesi not only impressed me with its professionalism, but also its people,” he says. “Chiesi has a welcoming environment with a positive culture that encourages you to develop, enables progression and inspires you to achieve. Further to this, innovative products and a fantastic pipeline make it the ideal place to build a career.”
To find out more about careers at Chiesi, visit chiesigroup.com/en/working-at-chiesi
