Leading a global pharmaceutical company was already a challenge. But exercising that leadership during a pandemic and having the company at the center of the public health conversation has represented, as a whole, the greatest challenge in the career of Constanza Losada, president and CEO of Pfizer Mexico.
“They have been two extremely challenging years, probably the most significant in my professional career and in my personal life (…) However, they have also been two years of learning and lessons that I could hardly have achieved under other circumstances,” Losada acknowledged. .
Pfizer, with a 170-year history and more than seven decades of presence in Mexico, gained greater visibility due to the development of a forceful response to the health emergency.
“The response that Pfizer has given to the pandemic is just the reflection of the DNA of an innovative, diverse company with the ability to respond to the challenges that are presented to us,” he said.
But before talking about the value of innovation for your company, we stop to remember that Constanza Losada took over the management of Pfizer and a few weeks later the pandemic gained strength in Mexico. How did she do it? Thanks to teamwork, he said.
“Regarding my leadership at the helm of Pfizer Mexico, I can tell you that I am very proud of the talented team that I lead and of what we have achieved. Thanks to the high level of commitment of all the company’s employees, in 2021 alone we impacted the lives of more than 32 million Mexicans. This commits us even more to our purpose of generating significant innovations that change people’s lives,” he said.
EXPANSION (E)- Historically, the pharmaceutical industry was conceived as the domain of men. How complicated has it been for Pfizer to carry equity and inclusion as a standard in this sector?
CONSTANZA LOSADA (CL)- Not only the pharmaceutical sector, industries such as finance, telecommunications or technology, among others, have always been related to male power figures. This is something that has been changing over the years, however, not yet at the speed we need.
It is very important that girls and young women begin to see leaders with whom they feel identified and that give them the certainty that they can also aspire to reach that level; In addition, it is necessary to encourage their curiosity, through the visibility of different fields, such as science, where there is still a smaller presence of women.
Inclusion and the gender agenda are already part of Pfizer’s internal policies to ensure that growth opportunities are equitable, “this has allowed us to equalize the percentage of women and men in management-level positions,” said the director.
parity strategies
Losada pointed out that, globally, the pharmaceutical company maintains a strategy of parity of opportunities, which represents the commitment to increase diversity.
“In Mexico we have different teams made up of collaborators who focus on the pillars that we consider to be priorities to continue advancing, such as Women, LGBT+, Ethnic Minorities and Disability. We set ourselves challenging metrics and concrete plans to measure our progress in different areas.”
Similarly, he said, they are aware that only with a company as diverse as the patients they serve, can they achieve their purpose of impacting people’s lives. All this because Pfizer believes that diversity is crucial to building successful companies.
“I believe that all women who reach a managerial position have a responsibility to help and encourage other colleagues. Finally, it is impossible to explain our arrival in these positions of power without the help of other women in our path”, Losada explained.
In addition to the encouragement and support for them to climb levels in organizations, she continued, women in leadership positions can serve as mentors to make their experience more enriching: “I am convinced that support among us is key to building trust, security and growth in the short, medium and long term.
E- What challenges do you think still exist in terms of equality in companies? How can the gender gap be eliminated?
CL- Definitely there is still a lot to do in terms of gender equity, both in companies and in various aspects of society in general. From promoting policies that do not allow inequity in wages in the same jobs, to guaranteeing the participation of women in public positions or boards of directors.
However, this year in particular, I am very enthusiastic about the International Women’s Day theme, which promotes “breaking prejudice”. And this, although it sounds like something small, is one of the fundamental points to further narrow the gap.
How many times do we not assume the capacity and abilities of a person based on their gender? Whether deliberate or unconscious, prejudice makes it difficult for women to advance. Therefore, it is not enough to know that these prejudices exist, it is necessary to act to equalize the conditions.
To the extent that we carry out actions focused on equity every day, we will soon be able to celebrate a more equal world. Science and all its constructions
vocation by influence
Constanza Losada is an accountant by professional training, although she assured that she feels a very deep commitment to the health sector, thanks to the fact that it can become a space for care and service.
“My passion for people’s health is something that I inherited from a very early age, since my father, being a medical oncologist, transmitted to me the value and importance of his care.”
Losada recalled that, for this reason, he highly values being at the head of a company that weighs science and medicine and constantly seeks to create new and better therapies to change people’s lives.
“Without health there is no tranquility, employment, security and prosperity in general. That is why I feel privileged and committed to working in a company that fights for health through science. And yes, I am a firm believer that science will win.”
