GALENIKA: A Success that Lasts – People Who Matter

GALENIKA: A Success that Lasts – People Who Matter

INTERVIEW: Jelena Parojčić, Executive Director for Human Resources, Galenika

This year, Galenika celebrated 79 years of operation. It is one of the oldest pharmaceutical companies from the former Yugoslavia and one of the oldest in Europe, but also a company that is constantly focused on the future. Jelena Parojčić, Executive Director for Human Resources at Galenika, shared her perspective on the anniversary and the campaign that celebrates people.

Galenika marked 79 years of operation this year. What makes Galenika strong today and ready to face the challenges of the industry and changing market conditions?

Galenika is an international company and one of the regional leaders in the production of pharmaceutical products designed to ensure health and improve the quality of life.

The company celebrated its 79th anniversary this year. While it’s not a round anniversary, it is highly significant as it speaks to resilience, innovation, quality, and expertise. Above all, it speaks to our strength, which lies in the people and the Galenika team. Hence, the name of our anniversary campaign: A Success that Lasts – People Who Matter.

Six years ago, a transformation began marked by intense investments, expansion into international export markets, continuous quality assurance, and a focus on community and environmental care. Galenika has a long tradition, yet our focus is on the future. This is what helps us anticipate and overcome challenges.

In your experience as the Executive Director for Human Resources at Galenika, what are the three main qualities of successful candidates for managerial positions?

This greatly depends on the company, industry, and sector, but if I were to give some general guidelines, they would be: knowledge, confidence, and communication. Professional knowledge and experience are an essential foundation, and they are acquired continuously. Confidence or self-assurance is an incredibly important trait for managing oneself, a team, and processes, and it also allows for reliability and consistency in decision-making.

Communication skills are often the ultimate test for managers because without effective communication, other skills cannot yield results. Effective communication means respecting the interlocutor, listening attentively, conveying messages and expectations, giving and receiving feedback, and successfully overcoming challenges.

What does Galenika’s equality, inclusion, and diversity (DEI) policy represent, and how important is it for business outcomes?

It is extremely important. The benefits of DEI policies in the workplace include improved collaboration, employee satisfaction, engagement and retention, Galenika’s attractiveness as an employer, and satisfaction among partners and collaborators. Our core values are integrity, responsibility, courage, and passion, and they encompass respecting and promoting equality, inclusion, and diversity. The DEI programs we implement positively impact the organization’s competitive position, agility, innovation, brand perception, and the true richness of our collective workforce.

For example, the company employs people from various educational backgrounds and levels. The majority have higher education, mainly from natural sciences faculties. Today, 63% of the management positions in Galenika are held by women. Diversity is also evident in the variety of native languages spoken by our colleagues, including English, Portuguese, Macedonian, Slovenian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Italian, and Russian.

What message do you have for young people considering a career in the pharmaceutical industry and at Galenika?

This is an interesting and dynamic industry that promotes what I also consider to be extremely important—continuous learning and development.

At Galenika, we responsibly create added value for users, the professional community, employees, and shareholders by setting the highest industry standards and applying decades of experience in providing innovative solutions in the pharmaceutical business. Each year, we increase the number of hours invested in employee training, and this year, that number has tripled.

The development of a modern company largely depends on planning and investment, and at Galenika, we have invested significantly in people and teams, safety, production, digitalization, and environmental protection. As a result of all these efforts, for which I am very proud, Galenika is now a company of diversity and opportunities.

The interview was published in the daily newspaper “Nova” on October 8, 2024.


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