News

Athens, 10 July 2019.- Through its Business Day, held for the sixth year in a row, SFEE gave the opportunity to more than 60 young graduates and university and postgraduate students in Pharmacy, Medicine, Economics/Business, Science and Technology to meet up with senior officials of pharmaceutical companies and get information about the industry’s trends and prospects, employment and business opportunities, as well the skills required for a successful career in the industry. The event was held on Friday, 5 July 2019 at the auditorium of AbbVie and was part of the Business Days programme organised by Professor Iordanis Ladopoulos. Mr. Pascal Apostolides, Managing Director of AbbVie, welcomed the young participants and wished them every success.

Mr. Olympios Papadimitriou, President of SFEE and General Manager of Novo Nordisk, stated: “We are happy once again this year to hold SfEE Business Day with great success and wide participation from both the companies and young graduates. The healthcare sector is a pillar of growth for the Greek economy, contributing 3.4% to GDP and supporting 122,000 jobs overall. Companies in the industry invest in skills and staff development and consistently stand out as the best and most attractive workplaces. In this light, the SfEE Business Day event is an undeniable confirmation of our commitment to keep investing in the country’s young talents. In closing my welcome address, I would like to congratulate Professor Iordanis Ladopoulos and thank him for his invaluable contribution to this important initiative.”

In turn, Mr. Makis Papataxariachis, Chairman of the PhRMA Innovation Forum (PIF) and of the AmCham Pharmaceutical Committee, Managing Director of Janssen Hellas, noted: “More than ever today, in a constantly changing environment, businesses and workers, and especially young people, all need a climate of optimism, promise, vision and new opportunities. The large and warm participation of students and companies in SfEE Business Day 2019 confirms the role and contribution of the pharmaceutical industry to the benefit of society at large. The pharmaceutical industry, with innovation and R&D investment at its heart, sees it as an imperative to be in the service of man, the patient and the citizen. While supporting all types of scientific progress and in the area of healthcare in particular, we also support the lifelong learning of young scientists. This enables them to look for business and employment opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry and to make the most of its huge growth potential, thereby contributing to a better future for all”.

Mr. Stavros Theodorakis, Vice President of SFEE, Chairman and CEO of Chiesi Hellas, stated: “It is very encouraging to see, once again this year, such a large participation of students, graduates and company representatives in the now established SfEE Business Day event. This fruitful exchange, aimed to bring young scientists into contact with industry executives, serves to highlight the apprenticeship and career opportunities, as well as the industry’s dynamics with more than 7,000 new medicines in development. The industry plays a decisive role in addressing the challenges faced by patients, physicians and national health systems. Driven by innovation, we develop modern pharmaceutical treatments that help patients to live longer and better lives. Tapping on the country’s scientific workforce is the key component of the strategic planning for this development”.

Mr. Giorgos Tousimis, Country Director for Greece & Cyprus, stressed that “The pharmaceutical industry is the top investor in R&D and innovation. The success of the SfEE Business Day demonstrates precisely this, i.e. that the industry needs several important scientific disciplines but, above all, highly-qualified human resources. In the context of its growth, the industry continuously invests in youth and in staff development through lifelong learning programmes. Thus, we are geared towards constant innovation, harnessing the skills and capabilities of the country’s human resources and providing opportunities and incentives for the creativity and energy of young people to flourish”.

Professor Iordanos Ladopoulos noted: “It is a great pleasure for us to hold jointly with SFEE a Business Day for the sixth consecutive year. The 65 young participants have had the unique opportunity to get information from the representatives of 11 pharmaceutical companies; this makes SfEE Business Day unique among all the Business Days we organise. This is a rare opportunity which, in addition to providing information, enables participants to meet company executives in person and discuss matters of concern to them. I would like to thank SFEE for the excellent organisation”.

The event featured CEOs and senior officials from SFEE member companies as speakers, specifically: Ms. Alexandra Vetsika, HR Manager Chiesi Hellas; Ms. Evgenia Gkegkiou, HR Director Janssen Hellas; Mr. Makis Grigoriadis, HR Manager Servier; Mr. Manolis Mitakis, Head of Public Affairs & Communications, Boehringer Ingelheim; Ms. Theodora Balani, HR Generalist, AbbVie, Mr. Konstantinos Mefsout, Government Affairs Manager, AbbVie; Ms. Despina Nikolaidi, Franchise Head, IHD Novartis Hellas; Mr. Fotis Zekios, Head Commercial Execution, Novartis Hellas; Ms. Manto Tzanetakou, Medical Affairs Director, Astellas Hellas; Ms. Angelika Tzimou, HR Head, Bayer Hellas; and Christos Christidis, HR Manager, Vianex-Vian.

SfEE Business Day is part of the Association’s Corporate Social Responsibility programme.