‘In China for China’
我在中国向大家问好 - Greetings from China!
There is an old but still relevant Chinese proverb that states: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now”; it resonated with me and with the reason why I am in China at this very moment. Many people live in the past and lament over ‘ifs’ and ‘should haves’ instead of looking ahead, being courageous, taking action, leading the way. We’re doing just that and I will share one of the many examples of what it looks like.
Today, I’ve had the privilege to officially inaugurate our new integrated Asian Veterinary R&D Centre in Shanghai, China. China is the 2nd largest market for the Animal Health Business Unit, representing about 6.4% of our global sales, where we wish to grow significantly in the future. Boehringer Ingelheim has been present in the region since 1990: with around 900 skilled professionals, our animal health business covers the entire value chain from R&D, manufacturing to sales and technical services.
China is a perfect fit for us, as an innovation-driven company that predominantly focuses on disease prevention and wellbeing. Its market is very dynamic, and continuously changing: over the years, we have witnessed a substantial restructuring of the livestock market, and the pet market has dramatically accelerated with the past growth rate of around 30%.
One of the signs of a responsible business is giving back; I am proud of our strategy titled ‘In China for China’ that embodies our commitment to improve Chinese animal husbandry and to contribute to society overall. In simple words, we care. We provide veterinary training in less developed areas as well as collaborate with universities on scholarship programmes. In addition, we firmly believe we can successfully support the government’s goal of disease control and eradication by developing vaccines specifically for China, manufactured in one of our three Chinese production sites. The most recent example of this effort is the establishment of a vaccine joint venture with two local animal health enterprises, targeting foot-and-mouth disease control and prevention in China.
It is no doubt China represents one of our key markets: with the growth of over 20% in 2017, we are currently the number 1 animal health multinational company in the country, and we want to remain one of the leading players in China and Asian markets.
I’ve introduced this piece with Chinese wisdom and I’ll finish on a similar note. If you’ve ever wondered how great achievements are accomplished and sustained, the Chinese believe that “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. It is not about quick sprints and fast fixes but about consistency, clarity of direction and planning ‘in generations’ as we say which pave the way for progress. The inauguration of the new integrated R&D Veterinary Centre in Shanghai, and another R&D Centre opening taking place later this year in Lyon, France, is a testimony to that. We continue to build this business for long-term success and I thoroughly enjoy being part of it.
Joachim Hasenmaier
Head of Animal Health Business Unit
Member of the Boehringer Ingelheim Board of Managing Directors
About Dr. Joachim Hasenmaier:
Dr. Joachim Hasenmaier is Head of Animal Health Business Unit, and member of the Board of Managing Directors at Boehringer Ingelheim. In the past, Joachim held multiple roles with Hoechst and was also Managing Director in Intervet in Brazil. In 2002 he joined Boehringer Ingelheim as Corporate Senior Vice President Animal Health, then became Corporate Senior Vice President Prescription Medicines (UK/Ireland, Nordics, Benelux, Canada, Australia/New Zealand) and in 2012 he was appointed Member of the Board of Managing Directors with responsibility for Animal Health and Consumer Health Care. Joachim assumed the position of Head of Animal Health Business Unit after Boehringer Ingelheim acquired Merial in 2017. Joachim is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University in Chicago.