The primary goal for the CEO is to expand intellectual property, patents, trademarks, market applications for the company’s products and capital raising, as well as establishing strategic relationships in order to build shareholder value. This candidate will be responsible for the identification, recruitment, and management of the senior executive team as well as overseeing the hiring of all levels within each department of the organization. They must identify opportunities and negotiate various agreements and author company policy. The latter is quite important in terms of corporate culture and how the employees are handled. The field of science is usually filled with enthusiasts, which is something that needs to be well established in the company culture and used to maintain motivation in this highly competitive industry.
Previous experience in working with the FDA, including scientific research as well as clinical testing and compliance is preferred, which constitutes a strong medical background. Moreover, the candidate must have a strong background in patent enforcement including priority directives and scientific proliferation. However, there’s also the administrative side which includes having experience with negotiating and implementing many forms of contracts, partnerships, licensing, sublicensing and merger & acquisition both scientifically and non-scientific.
Having outlined the basic description of what a CEO of a pharmaceutical company would look like on paper, it’s also important to look into the three necessary aspects that will make him a good manager in practice. These include the functions that he has to undertake in order to effectively lead the company; the various roles that the candidate is to step into during his employment, whilst dealing with all sorts of publics and situations; and the skills that one needs in order to successfully take on the functions and roles.
SkillsWe will start with this last point as in fact its the basis of what makes a manager competent. There is an entire skill set necessary for effective management; however these dont have to be innate as certain abilities can be acquired through experience.
The basis breakup of important skills for a manger is the following:Conceptual skillsHuman skills& Technical skillsNo one set is more important than the other because the job of the CEO is to steer the massive machinery of the company, with all that entails, as well as dealing on various levels with the employees, clients and maybe even consumers. Thus in order to be successful one needs to acquire and raise numerous aptitudes that allow the individual to understand and mold the course of development of the company, freely interact with and control people and operate with technical knowledge of the trade.
In the pharmaceutical industry, for the CEO the main skills would be:Advanced biotech or medical knowledge and skills to understand the production on its different levels.
A good understanding of what the company is producing and how it’s doing it – the R&D and machinery involved.
The ability and concentration to keep the running of the business under scrutiny, identifying the key strengths and weaknesses and developing on these, as well as the realization of opportunities and annihilation of threats.
A long term focus, with a clear vision of where the company is to be headed, in order to make all the necessary short term steps (deals, product launches, mergers or acquisitions, etc).
People skills are a crucial element to adequately handle conflict, crises, motivation, apathy, customer care, negotiations, etc. The CEO is the head figure who carries a great deal of responsibility in front of other people, thus being a successful mediator is essential.
These are the highlighted skills, as the list is extremely lengthy depending on every individual company and its make-up. However, with the aforementioned abilities the CEO should prove to be a perceptive, competent and action geared individual.
FunctionsThe functions of a manager can be divided into four main categories. This allows one to better compartmentalize and better understand the task at hand. For a pharmaceutical CEO these would be characterized as the following:LeadingTo identify, develop and direct the implementation of business strategy.
Maintain and develop organizational culture values and reputation in its markets and with all stuff, customers, suppliers, partners and regulatory bodies.
Negotiating and implementing different forms of contracts, partnership, licensing and mergers & acquisitions.
PlanningPlan and direct the organization activities to achieve stated targets and standards for financial and trading performance, quality, culture and legislative adherence.
Expand intellectual property, patents, trademarks, market applications for the company products and capital rising.
Maintain overview of work happening on the departmental level as well as the development of the business as a whole – steer towards common goals.
Organizing Responsible for the identification, recruitment and management of the senior executive team.
As well as overseeing the hiring of all levels within each department of the organization.
Execute the responsibilities of a company director according to lawful and ethical standards.
ControllingControl daily operations and greatly influence strategic direction.
Taking corrective action if the set objectives and goals aren’t being realized.
Enforce corporate culture as well as honor codes and ethical guidelines.
These mentioned functions portray just how complex the job of a manager at the level of a CEO is, as these are tasks that the individual has to carry out on a daily basis. If any one of these areas is neglected the business is set to go off tracks, which would be highly detrimental for the company. Thus the responsibility is grave and requires a high level of the highlighted skills in order for the manager to effectively run the business.
RolesThe Roles is the list of behaviors or tasks that this new CEO is expected to perform in the global Pharmaceutical Company with headquarters in Munich. The following roles are considered for us as the primary, meaning that no other like entrepreneur, negotiator, etc can be rejected.
FigureheadThe CEO had to represents the organization in all matters of formality, legally and socially to those outside of the organization. So is expected to speak German fluently and understand German culture.
LeaderInvolves the coordination and control of the work of the manager’s subordinates. Hiring, training, and motivating may all require direct contact with subordinates. Also, the CEO has to Maintain and develop organizational culture, values and reputation in the Pharmaceutical markets and with all staff, customers, suppliers, partners and regulatory and official bodies.
Disseminator/ Spokesperson:The CEO needs to shares some privileged information with subordinates, and, in the spokesman role, informs outsiders about the researchs progress. This is critical in a pharmaceutical company to avoid undesired information outflow and lose innovation capacity and competitive advantage.
ConclusionsIn this assignment we set the primary functions, roles and skills do a Chief Executive Officer of a global pharmaceutical company with headquarters in Munich need. Each one of this functions, roles and skills mentioned do not exclude the others listed by experts like Mintzberg. This is only a brief Job description that can be used as a guide to understand the responsibility that a CEO in this particular case has, and how complex is to understand the organizational behavior.
Bibliography:
“ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR” 10th Edition. Stephen P Robins.
“ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR: HUMAN BEHAVIOR AT WORK” 12th Edition. John Newstrom.