CEO MONTHLY / MOST INFLUENTIAL CEO AWARDS 2023 124 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2023 8 M Mar23134 Responding to the ever-changing needs in healthcare with consistent access to medicines Following the turmoil of the global pandemic, and the current economic climate the pharmaceutical industry has had to find new ways to respond to the needs of healthcare. One such company is Kent Athlone Pharma Group, so we wanted to interview its CEO, Terry Petersen, to find out more. To begin, please could you give us an overview of Kent Athlone Pharma Group? Kent Athlone Pharma Group is a Specialty, European Pharmaceutical Company with offices and production sites in the UK and Ireland. The company has a broad portfolio of Value-Added Medicines, and for example is already one of the largest suppliers of Hospital Injectables, and antibiotics to the NHS, in the UK. Likewise, we have a very successful service business within the Group, which provides a valuable service to NHS organisations as one of the leading providers of overlabelling services in the UK. The company has a long heritage dating back to 1986, supporting/collaborating with customers in the UK, Ireland, and Internationally through a network of partners across Europe, and around the globe. Could you tell us more about how you started with Kent Athlone Pharma Group, and how your past experience guided you to making such a difference to the team? I joined the company as CEO, in July 2022, to work with an established, & experienced team, to help lead, and facilitate the ongoing rapid growth of the business, as we seek to service our customers and support patients in the UK, Europe, and beyond. In terms of my professional background, I have spent the last 20+ years shaping and leading pharmaceutical businesses in Europe (Largely for Global Multi-Nationals), and I was very pleased to join Kent Athlone Pharma Group, because I could see the future potential to grow the business, with an excellent current portfolio of products, a strong product pipeline, and a committed team. How do you approach your business strategy? On joining the company 12 months ago, we took the time to speak/meet with every single employee, to understand their perspective in terms of what was working and what we needed to focus on improving. We identified a number of key areas including company culture, product portfolio, mediumterm Company Strategy, and operational excellence. We also spent time analysing our business, and our company processes to identify where we really needed to focus, to transition the business from a “Good” to a “Great” Company in the next few years. What challenges have you faced, or think you will face, due to the nature of your industry? Like any company in the recent economic climate, we have had to manage a number of challenges on an ongoing basis. For example, we face the ongoing challenges of global medicine shortages, substantial increases in cost of goods, and the low margins for some ValueAdded Medicines in many countries. And of course, it is taken as a given that we will operate at all times with the appropriate levels of compliance in line with our regulatory obligations, and our Corporate Social Responsibility as a manufacturer and employer in the UK and Ireland.
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