就某種程度而言,艾伯樂(Albert Bourla)此刻正身處世界之巔,他的工作從未如此艱難。這位輝瑞公司(Pfizer)的首席執(zhí)行官在新冠疫情爆發(fā)的前一年才剛剛接手這家有著173年歷史的制藥巨頭。而當(dāng)新型冠狀病毒SARS-CoV-2出現(xiàn)時,他正著手于公司轉(zhuǎn)型,處在轉(zhuǎn)型初期階段,計劃將輝瑞打造成一家突破性企業(yè)(因為他對“漸進(jìn)式技術(shù)”沒有興趣)。輝瑞與其德國合作伙伴BioNTech一拍即合,決定大干一場(甚至沒有簽訂合同),準(zhǔn)備突破性地制成針對新冠病毒的mRNA疫苗。而當(dāng)艾伯樂想到要對付這種破壞世界的冠狀病毒時,他并不唯一;或許就這一點而言,還有許多其他立于疫苗生產(chǎn)賽道的觀望者;他并不是僅憑臆想希望突破疫苗技術(shù),而是他信任合作的科學(xué)家。
當(dāng)然,事實也證明,疫苗的效果非常好。隨著輝瑞公司開發(fā)出全球?qū)剐鹿诓《咀钣行У奈淦髦?,艾伯樂想立刻起身為自己在吃飯時偶然產(chǎn)生的這個念頭鼓掌叫好。他的員工也因此獲得了公眾的認(rèn)同感激,有時甚至?xí)信匀嗽谒麄冑徫飼r幫他們買單。很可能幾周后,輝瑞公司將成為美國第一個獲準(zhǔn)用于5至12歲兒童的疫苗。全世界可能有史以來第一次感覺到了輝瑞公司的溫暖,而這也讓輝瑞迅速成為一個家喻戶曉的品牌。這就不難解釋員工參與感為何會攀升至頂。在其6萬名員工中,96%的員工在公司最近的年度調(diào)查中表示,他們?yōu)樵谳x瑞工作感到非常自豪。
同時,公司的收入和股價也一直處于歷史高位。輝瑞公司在新冠疫情之前每年生產(chǎn)2億支疫苗,而在2021年將生產(chǎn)超過30億支疫苗,銷售額預(yù)計超過300億美元?!皬母黜棓?shù)據(jù)來看,輝瑞公司現(xiàn)在正處于其整個173年創(chuàng)業(yè)史上的巔峰時刻。”艾伯樂在10月20日的采訪中對《財富》雜志的瑪麗亞·阿斯潘如是說道。一切都很好。但一直有一個問題困擾著艾伯樂:如何維持眼下的輝煌?
“當(dāng)爬到山頂時,你不能一直待在原地。”艾伯樂告訴阿斯潘,“要么你爬到更高的山頂,要么你下山。而此刻,我腦中思考的就是這一問題。”
艾伯樂的計劃是,想要爬到更高的山頂,那么首先不能認(rèn)為眼下的地位理所當(dāng)然?!拔艺J(rèn)為,我們每天都需要拼盡一切去贏得當(dāng)前的一切?!彼f。同時,他在談話中承認(rèn),公司在新冠疫情中所取得的成就為公司創(chuàng)造了一種不能被白白浪費掉的寶貴資源:充滿活力的企業(yè)文化。
“我們努力讓整個公司日復(fù)一日地挑戰(zhàn),開發(fā)一些沒有人認(rèn)為可能成功的東西。而且經(jīng)此一役,我們也向他們以及我們自己證明了,沒有什么是不可能的?!卑畼犯锌??!斑@也是輝瑞公司目前擁有的最大資產(chǎn)?!彼盅a充了一句,并表明目前公司所有部門都希望能夠復(fù)刻新冠疫苗項目的成功。
企業(yè)文化的重要性
在新冠疫情期間,艾伯樂還著重注意確保員工的參與感,無論他們是否參與疫苗工作,都可以參與分享這一公司成就;覺得這也是企業(yè)文化的一部分。公司還因此加強了內(nèi)部溝通,經(jīng)常分享關(guān)于新冠疫苗工作進(jìn)展的最新信息?!叭藗冋嬲P(guān)注我們開發(fā)疫苗所作出的努力,并且繼續(xù)跟進(jìn)。比如,現(xiàn)在他們正在開發(fā)……能夠治療新冠病毒的口服治療藥。這是讓員工感到自豪的一個極其重要的部分?!?/p>
輝瑞公司在新冠疫情期間繼續(xù)給每位員工發(fā)放工資,無論他們是否可以正常完成他們的職責(zé)。對艾伯樂和他帶領(lǐng)的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)團(tuán)隊來說,作出這樣的決定并不難,他說:“在某些時候,一個善待員工的決策會讓他們愿意永遠(yuǎn)追隨你。我們非常清楚,在這個篇章結(jié)束時,我們希望在這段歷史上留下自己積極的身影?!?/p>
這位首席執(zhí)行官現(xiàn)在專注于推動這個積極、統(tǒng)一的企業(yè)進(jìn)行更多改變生活的突破性藥物的開發(fā)。艾伯樂把他在某些方面的工作比喻為經(jīng)營“世界上最大的賭場”。他每年有超過100億美元的研發(fā)預(yù)算,投資于這項經(jīng)營。他認(rèn)為對某些項目成功的可能性以及手中可用資金進(jìn)行風(fēng)險管理、評估和權(quán)衡,是他工作中至關(guān)重要的部分。(他指出,對新冠疫苗的賭注是不同的,而且沒有那么嚴(yán)格:“它不是關(guān)于公司的未來,也不是關(guān)于我的未來,而是關(guān)于世界的未來?!保┹x瑞公司目前正在加倍努力地開發(fā)更多的mRNA疫苗和治療方法,艾伯樂預(yù)計最早將在明年產(chǎn)出回報。鑒于這項技術(shù)也能夠用于攻克腫瘤,他希望可以在三年內(nèi)看到成功的mRNA癌癥疫苗。
一見如故
艾伯樂認(rèn)為輝瑞公司不是靠單打獨斗達(dá)到現(xiàn)在的成就,而且通過強強聯(lián)合,共同進(jìn)步。比如,公司與mRNA聯(lián)合研發(fā)BioNTech的合作關(guān)系(他稱之為“一見如故”)。他認(rèn)為這種攜手合作對整個制藥行業(yè)的繁榮都具有重要意義。在他看來,在當(dāng)今的形勢下,他的公司只有被他方視為潛在合作伙伴才是好的狀態(tài)。
“技術(shù)不再像30年前那樣,只在一些常春藤聯(lián)盟(Ivy League)的大學(xué)的實驗室或大體量的制藥企業(yè)里取得發(fā)展。過去推動技術(shù)的就那么幾個地方;可能也就有10家機構(gòu)或企業(yè)能夠?qū)崿F(xiàn)某項技術(shù)發(fā)展。而現(xiàn)在,我們有1萬個同行。因為涌現(xiàn)了大量不同的初創(chuàng)公司和生物技術(shù)公司。”他特別指出:“你能夠在這方面取得成功的唯一方法就是,成為這一龐大的生物技術(shù)生態(tài)系統(tǒng)中非常值得信賴的那部分。這就是我給輝瑞的定位?!?/p>
制藥之外
艾伯樂明白,如今他作為輝瑞公司領(lǐng)路人,需要完成的工作不僅僅是生產(chǎn)產(chǎn)品和管理團(tuán)隊。“我們是一家企業(yè)。在如今的現(xiàn)代社會,企業(yè)開始對社會問題發(fā)表看法。所以,我們必須要承擔(dān)起相應(yīng)的社會責(zé)任,而且社會也會對企業(yè)有所期待?!彼f。由于艾伯樂曾經(jīng)公開發(fā)表過他的家族史以及他父母身為大屠殺幸存者的經(jīng)歷,并且感受到了這一分享所帶來的積極影響,所以他又補充道:“我認(rèn)為我們需要掌握企業(yè)發(fā)言權(quán),闡明我們作為大型企業(yè)所代表的價值觀,并且恪守。”(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:Transn
就某種程度而言,艾伯樂(Albert Bourla)此刻正身處世界之巔,他的工作從未如此艱難。這位輝瑞公司(Pfizer)的首席執(zhí)行官在新冠疫情爆發(fā)的前一年才剛剛接手這家有著173年歷史的制藥巨頭。而當(dāng)新型冠狀病毒SARS-CoV-2出現(xiàn)時,他正著手于公司轉(zhuǎn)型,處在轉(zhuǎn)型初期階段,計劃將輝瑞打造成一家突破性企業(yè)(因為他對“漸進(jìn)式技術(shù)”沒有興趣)。輝瑞與其德國合作伙伴BioNTech一拍即合,決定大干一場(甚至沒有簽訂合同),準(zhǔn)備突破性地制成針對新冠病毒的mRNA疫苗。而當(dāng)艾伯樂想到要對付這種破壞世界的冠狀病毒時,他并不唯一;或許就這一點而言,還有許多其他立于疫苗生產(chǎn)賽道的觀望者;他并不是僅憑臆想希望突破疫苗技術(shù),而是他信任合作的科學(xué)家。
當(dāng)然,事實也證明,疫苗的效果非常好。隨著輝瑞公司開發(fā)出全球?qū)剐鹿诓《咀钣行У奈淦髦?,艾伯樂想立刻起身為自己在吃飯時偶然產(chǎn)生的這個念頭鼓掌叫好。他的員工也因此獲得了公眾的認(rèn)同感激,有時甚至?xí)信匀嗽谒麄冑徫飼r幫他們買單。很可能幾周后,輝瑞公司將成為美國第一個獲準(zhǔn)用于5至12歲兒童的疫苗。全世界可能有史以來第一次感覺到了輝瑞公司的溫暖,而這也讓輝瑞迅速成為一個家喻戶曉的品牌。這就不難解釋員工參與感為何會攀升至頂。在其6萬名員工中,96%的員工在公司最近的年度調(diào)查中表示,他們?yōu)樵谳x瑞工作感到非常自豪。
同時,公司的收入和股價也一直處于歷史高位。輝瑞公司在新冠疫情之前每年生產(chǎn)2億支疫苗,而在2021年將生產(chǎn)超過30億支疫苗,銷售額預(yù)計超過300億美元?!皬母黜棓?shù)據(jù)來看,輝瑞公司現(xiàn)在正處于其整個173年創(chuàng)業(yè)史上的巔峰時刻?!卑畼吩?0月20日的采訪中對《財富》雜志的瑪麗亞·阿斯潘如是說道。一切都很好。但一直有一個問題困擾著艾伯樂:如何維持眼下的輝煌?
“當(dāng)爬到山頂時,你不能一直待在原地。”艾伯樂告訴阿斯潘,“要么你爬到更高的山頂,要么你下山。而此刻,我腦中思考的就是這一問題?!?/p>
艾伯樂的計劃是,想要爬到更高的山頂,那么首先不能認(rèn)為眼下的地位理所當(dāng)然。“我認(rèn)為,我們每天都需要拼盡一切去贏得當(dāng)前的一切?!彼f。同時,他在談話中承認(rèn),公司在新冠疫情中所取得的成就為公司創(chuàng)造了一種不能被白白浪費掉的寶貴資源:充滿活力的企業(yè)文化。
“我們努力讓整個公司日復(fù)一日地挑戰(zhàn),開發(fā)一些沒有人認(rèn)為可能成功的東西。而且經(jīng)此一役,我們也向他們以及我們自己證明了,沒有什么是不可能的?!卑畼犯锌?。“這也是輝瑞公司目前擁有的最大資產(chǎn)?!彼盅a充了一句,并表明目前公司所有部門都希望能夠復(fù)刻新冠疫苗項目的成功。
企業(yè)文化的重要性
在新冠疫情期間,艾伯樂還著重注意確保員工的參與感,無論他們是否參與疫苗工作,都可以參與分享這一公司成就;覺得這也是企業(yè)文化的一部分。公司還因此加強了內(nèi)部溝通,經(jīng)常分享關(guān)于新冠疫苗工作進(jìn)展的最新信息?!叭藗冋嬲P(guān)注我們開發(fā)疫苗所作出的努力,并且繼續(xù)跟進(jìn)。比如,現(xiàn)在他們正在開發(fā)……能夠治療新冠病毒的口服治療藥。這是讓員工感到自豪的一個極其重要的部分?!?/p>
輝瑞公司在新冠疫情期間繼續(xù)給每位員工發(fā)放工資,無論他們是否可以正常完成他們的職責(zé)。對艾伯樂和他帶領(lǐng)的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)團(tuán)隊來說,作出這樣的決定并不難,他說:“在某些時候,一個善待員工的決策會讓他們愿意永遠(yuǎn)追隨你。我們非常清楚,在這個篇章結(jié)束時,我們希望在這段歷史上留下自己積極的身影?!?/p>
這位首席執(zhí)行官現(xiàn)在專注于推動這個積極、統(tǒng)一的企業(yè)進(jìn)行更多改變生活的突破性藥物的開發(fā)。艾伯樂把他在某些方面的工作比喻為經(jīng)營“世界上最大的賭場”。他每年有超過100億美元的研發(fā)預(yù)算,投資于這項經(jīng)營。他認(rèn)為對某些項目成功的可能性以及手中可用資金進(jìn)行風(fēng)險管理、評估和權(quán)衡,是他工作中至關(guān)重要的部分。(他指出,對新冠疫苗的賭注是不同的,而且沒有那么嚴(yán)格:“它不是關(guān)于公司的未來,也不是關(guān)于我的未來,而是關(guān)于世界的未來。”)輝瑞公司目前正在加倍努力地開發(fā)更多的mRNA疫苗和治療方法,艾伯樂預(yù)計最早將在明年產(chǎn)出回報。鑒于這項技術(shù)也能夠用于攻克腫瘤,他希望可以在三年內(nèi)看到成功的mRNA癌癥疫苗。
一見如故
艾伯樂認(rèn)為輝瑞公司不是靠單打獨斗達(dá)到現(xiàn)在的成就,而且通過強強聯(lián)合,共同進(jìn)步。比如,公司與mRNA聯(lián)合研發(fā)BioNTech的合作關(guān)系(他稱之為“一見如故”)。他認(rèn)為這種攜手合作對整個制藥行業(yè)的繁榮都具有重要意義。在他看來,在當(dāng)今的形勢下,他的公司只有被他方視為潛在合作伙伴才是好的狀態(tài)。
“技術(shù)不再像30年前那樣,只在一些常春藤聯(lián)盟(Ivy League)的大學(xué)的實驗室或大體量的制藥企業(yè)里取得發(fā)展。過去推動技術(shù)的就那么幾個地方;可能也就有10家機構(gòu)或企業(yè)能夠?qū)崿F(xiàn)某項技術(shù)發(fā)展。而現(xiàn)在,我們有1萬個同行。因為涌現(xiàn)了大量不同的初創(chuàng)公司和生物技術(shù)公司?!彼貏e指出:“你能夠在這方面取得成功的唯一方法就是,成為這一龐大的生物技術(shù)生態(tài)系統(tǒng)中非常值得信賴的那部分。這就是我給輝瑞的定位?!?/p>
制藥之外
艾伯樂明白,如今他作為輝瑞公司領(lǐng)路人,需要完成的工作不僅僅是生產(chǎn)產(chǎn)品和管理團(tuán)隊?!拔覀兪且患移髽I(yè)。在如今的現(xiàn)代社會,企業(yè)開始對社會問題發(fā)表看法。所以,我們必須要承擔(dān)起相應(yīng)的社會責(zé)任,而且社會也會對企業(yè)有所期待?!彼f。由于艾伯樂曾經(jīng)公開發(fā)表過他的家族史以及他父母身為大屠殺幸存者的經(jīng)歷,并且感受到了這一分享所帶來的積極影響,所以他又補充道:“我認(rèn)為我們需要掌握企業(yè)發(fā)言權(quán),闡明我們作為大型企業(yè)所代表的價值觀,并且恪守?!保ㄘ敻恢形木W(wǎng))
譯者:Transn
Albert Bourla is on top of the world—and in some ways, his job has never been tougher. The Pfizer CEO took over at the 173-year-old pharma giant just a year before the pandemic; he was in the beginning phases of a corporate transformation—aimed at making Pfizer a breakthrough factory (he had no interest in “incremental science”)—when the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 surfaced, and Pfizer, along with its Germany-based partner BioNTech, decided to team up on a big swing (no contract even in place) at a breakthrough: an mRNA vaccine against COVID. When Bourla had thought about taking on the world-crippling coronavirus, that wasn’t the vaccine technology he’d—or for that matter, many other vaccine-race observers—imagined for the job, but he trusted his scientists.
And, of course, it worked—incredibly well. For Pfizer’s role in developing one of the globe’s most effective weapons against COVID-19, Bourla now finds himself getting impromptu standing ovations at restaurants; his employees, recognized by grateful members of the public, sometimes have their groceries paid for. It’s likely that a few weeks from now, Pfizer will be the first vaccine authorized for children between the ages of 5 and 12 in the U.S. For maybe the first time ever, the world has warm feelings for Pfizer, which has also in short order become a household name. It’s no wonder employee engagement is through the roof; 96% of its 60,000 employees said in the company’s most recent annual survey they are very proud to work at Pfizer.
Meanwhile, the company’s revenues and stock price have been at all-time highs; Pfizer, which manufactured 200 million vaccines per year before the pandemic, will make more than 3 billion of them in 2021, for more than $30 billion in sales. “In all metrics, Pfizer is right now at the peak of its entire history of 173 years,” Bourla told Fortune’s Maria Aspan, at a virtual Fortune Connect event on Wed. Oct. 20. That’s all great, but the question that has been nagging at Bourla is: How do we sustain this?
“When you are at the top, you can’t stay there,” Bourla told Aspan. “Either you go higher, or you go down. That’s what’s in my mind right now.”
Bourla’s plan for even greater heights starts with not taking that position for granted. “I think we need to earn it everyday, with everything we do,” he said, while acknowledging the company’s pandemic achievement has created a precious resource that can’t be squandered: an energized corporate culture.
“We have the entire organization living day in and day out our efforts to develop something that no one thought possible. And we’ve proven to all, including ourselves, that nothing is impossible,” said Bourla. “That’s the biggest asset Pfizer has right now,” he added, noting that all divisions of the company want to replicate the success of the COVID vaccine effort.
The importance of culture
During the pandemic, Bourla also took care to ensure employees, whether they worked on the vaccine or not, shared in that accomplishment and felt a part of the company culture. The company increased its internal communications, relaying frequent updates on the progress of the COVID work: “People were really focusing and following the efforts to develop our vaccine, as now they are on the development…of our oral pill treatment that could treat COVID. It was an extremely big part of the pride employees feel.”
Pfizer kept everyone on payroll during the pandemic, whether they were able to do their jobs or not—a decision that came easily for Bourla and his leadership team: “There are moments of how you treat your people that stay with them forever. It was very clear to us that when this story is over we want to find ourselves on the right part of history.”
The CEO is now focused on harnessing that motivated and unified organization to develop more life-changing, breakthrough medications. Bourla, who compares aspects of his job to running “the world’s largest casino,” has more than $10 billion dollars in R&D budget to invest in that cause every year, and he considers risk management—assessing and weighing the likelihood of success of certain projects, against available capital—a key part of his job. (With betting on a COVID vaccine, he noted the calculation was different, and much less rigorous: “This wasn’t about the future of the company, or of me, but the future of the world.”) Pfizer is now doubling down on additional mRNA vaccines and therapeutics, which Bourla expects will yield rewards as early as next year. He hopes to see a successful mRNA cancer vaccine—the technology can be used to attack tumors—in three years.
Love at first sight
Bourla does not see Pfizer getting there on its own, but though strong partnerships—like the one it shares with mRNA collaborator BioNTech (“It was love at first sight,” he said)—which he believes are vital for a thriving pharma industry. As he sees it, in today’s landscape, his company is only as good as it is perceived by potential partners.
“Science will not happen, like 30 years ago, in the labs of some Ivy League university or very big pharma. That’s where things were happening; there were 10 players that could do it. Now there are 10,000 players because there are many different startups and biotechs. The only way you can be successful with this is if you are a very trusted part of a big biotech ecosystem,” he noted. “This is how I want to position Pfizer.”
Beyond making medicines
Bourla understands his job leading Pfizer today goes beyond making medicines and managing his workforce. “We are a corporation, and in the modern world, businesses started to have an opinion about social issues, and there is a role we have to play, and there is an expectation,” he said. Bourla, who has spoken publicly and felt the positive impact of sharing his family’s history and his parents’ experience as Holocaust survivors, added: “I think we need to be very vocal in terms of what are the values that we represent as a major corporation and speak about them.”