The Community of Madrid has awarded the Madrid Excelente seal to Sandoz Iberia in the year the company marks its 140th anniversary. Sandoz, a global leader in generic medicines and biosimilars, has earned this recognition for its commitment to management excellence and its track record anchored in research, innovation, and access to medications.
Sandoz Iberia is the regional subsidiary that operates in Spain and Portugal and has earned this recognition for its commitment to excellence in management and its trajectory tied to research, innovation and access to medications.
The award, presented by Elena Mantilla, Madrid Excelente’s CEO, to Joaquín Rodrigo, CEO of Sandoz Iberia, was framed within an event structured around the four pillars of the seal: Values, Innovation, People, and Environment. The day offered a view into how these pillars are reflected in Sandoz’s work, from its Madrid presence to the projects it develops with healthcare and social organizations.
Joaquín Rodrigo opened the ceremony with a tour through the company’s evolution from its origins in 1886 to the present day. His remarks highlighted the pharmaceutical company’s adaptability and its contribution to expanding access to treatments, through a portfolio of more than 1,300 generic medicines and 13 biosimilars on the market, spanning major therapeutic areas and reaching more than 1 billion patients each year in more than 100 countries.
Excellent Alliances for More Accessible Healthcare
The roundtable, focused on the Madrid Excelente pillars of People and Environment, addressed Sandoz’s Accessibility Alliance and the projects it drives with other organizations to identify and reduce barriers in healthcare.
Moderated by Jesús Vidart, Market Access Head of Sandoz Iberia, the panel included Eusebio Azorín, Director of Institutional Relations at ILUNION; Javier Luengo, CEO of Plena Inclusión Madrid; Manuel Martínez del Peral, President of the Official College of Pharmacists of Madrid; and Manuel Quintana, Section Chief at the Hospital Universitario La Paz.
During the gathering, initiatives such as Hospitals Accessible 360°, developed with ILUNION; saludmasfacil.org, driven with Plena Inclusión Madrid, and There’s a Pharmacist… on the Move, in collaboration with the COFM, were presented. These projects tackle different challenges, such as hospital accessibility, understanding medical information, and finding solutions tailored to patients’ needs.
The involvement of these organizations highlights the value of collaboration in delivering concrete responses to healthcare challenges. This sector also holds a prominent place in Madrid Excelente: more than one in four certified organizations come from the healthcare field.
Sandoz Drives International Talent from Madrid
Sandoz’s presence in the Community of Madrid is notable for its international dimension. Its Global Competence Center (GCC) brings together professionals from more than 35 nationalities and connects the Madrid teams with various parts of the organization worldwide.
René Gessenich, P&O Head and GCC Madrid Head, explained how this center contributes to attracting talent, fostering international collaboration, and developing global projects. Testimonials from several professionals showed how the diversity of profiles, knowledge, and experiences is part of the daily work of the teams.
The GCC thus reinforces Madrid’s role as a hub for international talent and as a center of activity for Sandoz’s global organization.
With the award, Madrid Excelente recognizes the pharmaceutical company’s track record and its commitment to a management approach that integrates business development, innovation, and collaboration with other entities. The award coincides with Sandoz’s 140th anniversary and underscores its ties to the healthcare sector and its activity in the Community of Madrid.
