Interview with Etienne Jornod

His career at Vifor Pharma Group

In May 2020, he stepped down from the position as Executive Chairman of the Board and, together with other partners, bought the Geneva-based biotech company, OM Pharma, from Vifor Pharma. He has held the position of Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors since then. Etienne Jornod is also Honorary Chairman of Galenica and Vifor Pharma as well as Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the University of Lucerne. He talks about the strengths and challenges of the Swiss pharmaceutical industry.

  

 

What inspired you to be in the pharma industry?

  • Etienne Jornods answer

    The pharma industry is inspiring me, since the beginning, by the fact that my father was a cardiologist. And my mother was a nurse. This means I was always in this environment. And for me, it is very important to work for what I call a positive industry. And I feel very comfortable in these industries that I love very much.

  

What were the crucial elements to create two successful companies?

  • Etienne Jornods answer

    To create both companies, the new Galenica and the Vifor biotech companies, the most crucial points were to have a very clear vision. And it is very important to implement the strategy consequently, without any compromise - for a very long period of time. And another aspect is to have people that you can trust, who are committed with you.

  

What are the characteristics of the Swiss pharma industry?

  • Etienne Jornods answer

    The Swiss pharma industry is a very attractive place. It is a sector which is growing year after year, for decades, and which has become the most important sector of the Swiss economy. What makes this sector very attractive is the fact that we have in Switzerland two of the largest pharma companies, Roche and Novartis, and they stimulate all ideas and initiatives in this field. And this is probably the reason why Switzerland has become one of the three most attractive place in the world for the biotech start-up market.

  

What is your advice to an entrepreneur that wants to build their own company in the healthcare or pharma industry?

  • Etienne Jornods answer

    To have a clear vision about what you want to do, define a good strategy, have good people working with you and developing the culture. It's also very important to have good shareholders. And you need shareholders backing you up to reach your goals.

  

How do you prepare for uncertain times?

  • Etienne Jornods answer

    Being confronted with the present economic and political crisis is a major issue. First of all, I think it's very important to cut cost and to be ready to face big challenges, and to anticipate the fact and to be ready to face big challenges. Working with the people you trust and the culture is very important. And being confident because every crisis becomes also an opportunity, and you can create new ideas and develop new projects.

  

 
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Wellness & Health: An industry with a big potential

The once-casual question has taken on a profound twist. Not only because wellness and all kinds of sports activities have become an everyday ritual for young people along with the ever-growing group of “silver agers”. Driven by social media and the many smart devices surrounding us — fitness trackers, phones, smart watches, and other wearables — we measure our health on a daily basis — as an individual and as society.

Together, we generate vast amounts of data which influences our perception of well-being on two levels, personally and in society as a whole. It all relies on an interconnected understanding of our health.

For companies, it opens up a new field for innovation involving the established pharmaceutical industry as well as start-ups.

To the investment idea video

  

Further Expert Interviews

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Interview with Dr. Fabian Unteregger

Dr. Fabian Unteregger is a comedian, entrepreneur and co-founder of the leading Swiss healthcare startup organization Swiss Healthcare Startups and the ETH Circle. In the video interview, he talks about the importance of sleep, balanced diet and exercise for a healthy life. He also emphasizes the opportunities of data diversity in healthcare.

Read more
 
 
 
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