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Tech Oasis: STADA GIS Serbia
06. November 2023.
STADA GIS Serbia recently marked ten years of successful business operation. Over this period of time, it has become a place where IT and tech professionals can progress and be creative. This was exactly one of the reasons of our encounter with Tobias Guenthoer, Senior Vice-President of STADA Group Global IT, with whom we talked about this company and the conditions it offers to its employees.
Tobias Guenthoer, Senior Vice President IT/CIO
STADA GIS Serbia is an IT business partner of all STADA affiliates worldwide. It offers complete IT support, consulting, experience and resources to STADA Group, including the highest professional standards in project delivery. Founded in 2013, STADA GIS has developed and transformed into an IT competence centre. Growing in knowledge, people, and in its global reach, STADA GIS Serbia is now a part of Global Information Services in STADA Group. STADA GIS is a team that numbers more than 140 IT professionals in Serbia only and several hundred people worldwide, whose responsibility is to provide support to STADA in all digital areas, being a reliable partner in healthcare before all. The company is a good opportunity for young talents, as well as for more mature professionals, since both these groups can advance in this organisation, both in their knowledge and in their personal development.
Mr. Guenthoer, could you briefly introduce STADA GIS Serbia activities to our readers, its growth and transformation since its establishment in 2013?
The people in STADA GIS (Global Information Service) in Serbia are really the backbone of our digital organisation. When we came here ten years ago, our priority was to establish a quality team. This is how we gathered capable people on high-ranking positions, people who came from Hemofarm, and they really transformed this into an IT competence centre. This is how, from the very first day, we placed an important accent on both the way in which we steered the digital transformation in STADA, on our employees throughout the entire Group, as well as on those with whom we collaborated.
How many people does STADA GIS Serbia currently employ, and on which markets does it operate? Is your outreach global?
We currently have over 140 employees and they provide support to STADA globally. STADA operates globally on more than 50 markets worldwide. It distributes its products on more than 100 markets, either directly or indirectly. STADA GIS Serbia is involved in supporting our organisation on all these markets – in production, in distribution of our products and actually in the process of delivering the products to their users. This really is a global centre, and this is also something that distinguishes us from other delivery centres. We aim to provide service, regardless of where our employees are.
From your personal perspective, what the greatest accomplishment would be over the past 10 years?
There are many, but let me point out a few of them. I believe we have really succeeded in creating and maintaining what I like to call ‘a digital backbone’ of our company, with a support of 140 employees, more than twenty manufacturing sites, and business operation on more than 50 markets which enable us to operate reliably and that everything always functions. Every day in a week, at any time, something is going on and we are really able to do it right with the support of STADA GIS Serbia. In addition, and I would like to highlight this in particular, as STADA GIS Serbia has grown from a delivery centre to a competence centre, we now really have leading technologies here, such as data analytics, or cloud technologies, which bring tangible values, so that this is actually turning into a digital innovation centre of STADA.
What is the achievement of STADA GIS Serbia you are most proud of?
Culture is number one. In my opinion, we have created a top-class team here, with a genuine set of appropriate emotional and communication skills, as well as team spirit. The employees believe in the mission of STADA, which means that the company should be a go-to partner to all our patients and users around the world, and they contribute to this mission, which means that they are ready to offer more than a maximum when they need to ensure that our product is manufactured and delivered. Moreover, we have managed to gather people who have technical as well as business skills, who know exactly how STADA operates and who know what digital technologies can help them in becoming even better and in creating a quality product.
How much did STADA GIS Serbia help in digitalisation of STADA’s business globally over the past 10 years, and especially here in Serbia, where STADA has significant presence?
They helped in all aspects; firstly, with the delivery centre with more than 140 people who helped us synchronise our countries. This enabled us to develop new technologies and have them swiftly on several markets at a time, instead of step by step. In addition, it gave us more power and vigour to bring digital technologies onto the market. Secondly, they help us a lot in making processes more efficient. A company in which pharmacy is the main part of the business has a high level of complexity, and since our products need to be of very good quality, there are many rules and regulations which we must observe and which we must stick to, which is reflected in the system to a considerable degree. The employees of STADA really help us deliver high-quality products and care that we fulfil our purpose in relation to patients and users. This is owing to knowledge, devotion, and passion of those people.
In terms of qualified workforce, Serbia has been on the rise when it comes to IT experts in the recent years. Are you satisfied with what Serbia can offer in terms of IT knowledge, especially for the needs of STADA?
Absolutely! Here in Serbia, we find very talented staff, yet the fact is that there is a strong competition for attracting talents in Serbia, especially in big cities, such as Belgrade, where many international companies are competing to get the most talented people. We really strive to be visible on the market, attractive with our corporate mission and vision, and with what we can offer. Nowadays, there is never too many digital talents, neither in Serbia nor in Belgrade nor in other parts of the world. As an employer, we must be attractive. This is why we are doing many things, including having a digitally safe and modern work environment and this is here, where we are sitting right now. However, this is a tough struggle and we are really competing with many other companies for better resources that can be found. Nevertheless, we believe that our advantage lies in the fact that STADA is a global company with a history and heritage in Serbia and Belgrade, initially through Hemofarm. I notice that it attracts many people, owing solely to the very mission of the company and what the company does for the society.
For skilled IT experts and people who are looking for new opportunities, what would you say – why STADA GIS Serbia, and pharmaceutical business in general, should be attractive to them as an employer?
Because we have a very definite mission. This is not only about technology as such, not about digital competences as such, but we wish to improve the quality of life of the people here. I really believe that younger generations like to work for companies that have a clear vision and that contribute to the society. Of course, when it comes to tech talents we are competing against Microsoft and Google and the likes on a global level, but I really believe that we use technology in order to improve the life of the entire society. Another moment is culture. I am of the opinion that we have a very specific culture; we combine these four values – agility, entrepreneurship, ONE STADA spirit, and a high degree of integrity. People want to work at a place where what is being said is being done and what is being done is being communicated. This especially goes for younger generations who very much appreciate integrity and what it can induce and who do not only work for the money.
And when it comes to young people, who are just starting their careers – what should their CVs look like and what STADA GIS Serbia can offer them?
This is an interesting question. I often have such discussions with my own children, and I have three sons. I think the best advice I can give to young people is to pursue their passion. If you pursue your passion, you are doing the right thing in fact. I believe you can pursue many of your passions in STADA, especially if you wish to make an impact, as an individual, on the society. If you pursue your passions, everything will come out as it should.
Why would a young graduate chose STADA GIS for a start of his/her own career?
Because we really apply the concept of learning through practical work. From the very first day when you come to work here, you will work on something that really matters and you will be given lots of freedom and space to learn and acquire knowledge, in an environment where you will be guided. In this manner, even if you do not succeed and even if you fall, you will quickly get up on your feet and continue further. Mistakes are part of our culture and they are completely normal, because you cannot learn something if you never make mistakes. We provide our employees a safe workspace for learning, challenging tasks to learn from and grow fast, and I believe that this combination, coupled with all other advantages that STADA can offer, make an alluring offer for any talented young person who wishes to join STADA.
Source: Radna oaza: STADA GIS Serbia | PC Press