What is the importance of the Italian activities in terms of growth and revenues for Boehringer Ingelheim globally?
Commercial activities represent the major part of Boehringer Ingelheim’s business. Italy represents 5% of the global turnover, with third-part business representing about 10% of total sales in Italy. The development of third-part activities involves new customers and implies a strong need of change in the people’s mindset. When a client asks for an offer Boehringer Ingelheim cannot take two weeks to make a cost calculation- we have to provide an answer in 24 hours, otherwise there is the risk to lose the customer to the benefit of a competitor. As you used to work at Istituto de Angeli prior to its integration to Boehringer Ingelheim in 1992, do you consider that working for an independent company helped you keep this entrepreneurial spirit? Many people working now in Boehringer Ingelheim come from the old Istituto De Angeli. The changes and integrations generally help us keep an entrepreneurial spirit: for example, when Bidachem was created, its General Manager was also coming from Is
