Mr. Kaloyan Popov from Pfizer Bulgaria with the Prize „Business Leader – Pharmaceutical Industry 2024“
Photographer: Dilian Markov MakeUp: Lora Slavova
Mr. Popov, congratulations on the Pharmaceutical Industry Business Leader 2024 Award. Pfizer is the world’s leading company in this field. What are your strengths that set you apart from other companies in the pharmaceutical sector?
We have an extensive and diverse portfolio of innovative products for the treatment of diseases in a number of therapeutic areas, such as cardiology, oncology, rare diseases, inflammatory and infectious diseases, as well as vaccines. This year and last, we were one of the companies that registered a record number of new products in many different therapeutic areas. The other most important prerequisite for success, and one of the company’s most valuable assets, is its people. Highly motivated experts who, every day of their „working lives“, contribute to the development of this portfolio, to these innovative therapies that can help patients with different diseases to get the treatment that is right for them, or prevent the onset of disease in healthy people.
Tell us about your career in the pharmaceutical industry. What steps have you gone through and how has the business changed in recent years?
Pfizer is a company that gives every employee the opportunity to develop. And I gained my experience and knowledge by going through a lot of positions. My career started in Bulgaria, and then I went through a number of regional and global roles outside of our country that spanned many therapeutic areas such as immunology, oncology, vaccines, etc.
What are the key factors for Pfizer’s success as a leader in the international market and what is the company’s core mission?
Over the years, we have been the largest pharmaceutical company in the world, a fact that implies cumbersome internal processes and a way too much administration.
In fact, we are an extremely flexible company, and I believe the biggest formula for our success is our flexibility. Thanks to this speed and adaptability, during the COVID pandemic we literally managed to save humanity by developing a vaccine that prevents the development of COVID -19 in an absolutely record time, without any government subsidies or funding from global organizations. Our development in Bulgaria also demonstrates this speed and ability for timely decision-making by company management, which is critical.
How do you treat the competition?
Our attitude is one of great respect. I am of the opinion that there is a place for every company on the market, even on the Bulgarian market. As medicine advances, more and more sick people are being found who need treatment. I treat with respect anyone who helps timely and quality treatment to reach as many patients as possible.
What are the trends in the pharmaceutical industry globally?
Every single company, at least of the top ten in the world, is investing in creating medicines that could help fight the so-called socially significant diseases and cover millions of people around the world. These include cardiovascular disease in cardiology, diabetes and obesity in endocrinology, and of course cancer, where every company is seeking to develop therapies that not only extend the life of cancer patients but also ensure its quality. A very interesting trend in oncology is the so-called „anti-drug conjugate“ which delivers a chemotherapeutic agent directly into the tumor cell. Why is this technology so interesting? Because it is believed that when targeted delivery of this chemotherapy is delivered into tumor cells, it should naturally have higher efficacy and fewer side effects.
What are the company’s plans for the next few years. How do you plan to improve people’s lives and health with your discoveries, medicines and vaccines?
New developments in oncology – this is an extremely important mission for Pfizer. We are investing and developing more and more medicines that will enable us to become one of the leaders in this field. The other critical area is of course vaccines, because we all know how important prevention is.
Tell us about the company’s initiatives and involvement in projects that benefit the community?
he company and its employees have a strong social commitment. We strive to ensure that our medicines reach the maximum number of people who need them. We support various advocacy and patient organizations working on projects related to the rights of patients with various diseases.
Is it difficult to organize a team as successful as yours to meet the company’s high standards?
We have a solid core of people who have been with the company for many years, but it’s also important to me to look for talents outside the company. I think it’s very important that teams are renewed, that there is career growth for each employee who has proven their effectiveness, and taking on new employees always refreshes the team overall with new ideas and visions. Without being specifically sought after, a greater number of women work at the local office of the company. We strive of course to have a healthy balance, excellent communication and understanding between colleagues and the opportunity for each team member to present different ideas.
What is your goal for business development? Do you have your own, personal mission?
My profession is also a mission. The main thing is to be able to help as many patients as possible in Bulgaria. This is important because it turns out that there are many sick people in our country who do not have access to adequate treatment for various reasons, such as: the slow diagnosis of some diseases, the patients themselves cannot navigate the complexity of the health system, etc. Another thing I would like to see improved in the country is that there is adequate and accessible therapy for every patient in Bulgaria. This is a personal mission of mine – that innovative medications, not just from Pfizer, reach all patients who need them in a timely manner.
What is the most important skill of a successful manager?
A successful manager must first understand what he or she is managing, must have specific knowledge and skills. The second important thing for me, as the leader of this organization, is to surround myself with competent people who not only bring success to the company, but also learn from each other. I think every leader grows when they have a competent team around them, when people can voice their opinions, when those people come with different business ideas.
What is success for you?
There are many definitions of success, because everyone understands it differently. For me, it’s very important what kind of mark I leave behind and what I will be remembered for.
You are an extremely busy person. Do you have time to travel and what are your favourite holiday spots?
I try to find time to travel . I have travelled a lot, all over the world. Recently I was in Spain and I hope to visit interesting places in the middle of summer. I have many favorite destinations, Japan being one of them. Another country that really impressed me was Australia.
