- Novartis Healthcare Philippines inaugurated its new office with a workspace that is designed to encourage increased collaboration, innovation and work flexibility.
- The company’s new office is located at the fifth floor of the Ayala North Exchange Tower 1 in Ayala Avenue corner Amorsolo street in San Lorenzo, Makati City.
Makati City, 20 March 2019 – Novartis Healthcare Philippines inaugurated its new office with a workspace that is designed to encourage increased collaboration, innovation and work flexibility. The new Novartis Philippines office is located on the fifth floor of the Ayala North Exchange Tower 1 in Ayala Avenue corner Amorsolo street in San Lorenzo, Makati City.
“Our new office has no physical barriers between workstations, no separate offices, with associates free to sit wherever they like. This encourages us to work with colleagues that we don’t usually work with, and encourages us to have conversations that perhaps we wouldn’t have if we were separated by divisions found in conventional office designs. Our new office also enables our Unboss culture, which empowers our people to make decisions and be accountable for the decisions that they make in their day-to-day work,” said Ms. Cheryl Maley, President and Managing Director, Novartis Healthcare Philippines.
Ms. Maley believes that the design of their new office will be a key enabler in achieving Novartis Philippines’ goal of building a science and innovation-based nation. “The only way to survive is to continuously transform into something else. It's this idea of continuous transformation that makes you an innovation company,” she said, quoting Ms. Ginni Rometty, the current chair, president and CEO of IBM, and the first woman to head the American computer hardware giant.
“Our new office will enable Novartis and Sandoz associates to collaborate more closely while fostering innovation in our work with key stakeholders to enhance access to medicines and transform Philippine healthcare,” said Ms. Eleanor Lopez, Country Head and General Manager, Sandoz Philippines Corporation.
Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) Executive Director Dr. Jaime Montoya, who spoke on behalf of Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña, congratulated Novartis Healthcare Philippines on the inauguration of its new office, noting that the inauguration theme “Building a Science and Innovation Nation” reflects the company’s commitment and support to strengthen the country’s research and development capabilities.
“The DOST and Novartis have a longstanding relationship, which spans the term of three Secretaries: Secretary Estrella Alabastro, Secretary Mario Montejo and incumbent Secretary de la Peña. Through our collaboration in the Next Generation Scientist and the International Biotechnology Leadership Camp, we work to achieve our shared goal of developing Filipino scientists to lead the future of our country,” Dr. Montoya said.
“Novartis focuses on innovation and collaboration, which are the same values that the Department of Trade and Industry is advancing,” said DTI Undersecretary for the Competitiveness and Innovation Group, Ms. Rafaelita Aldaba, who spoke on behalf of DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez.
In a brief video shown during the event, Novartis Asia Cluster Head Mr. Alexis Serlin said that the new office of Novartis Healthcare Philippines “plays a critical role in our journey to evolve the Novartis culture that allows associates to be curious, inspired and Unbossed. It provides an ideal working space to role model these behaviors.”
During the inauguration, Ms. Maley formally handed over copies of the coffee table book “Building A Science And Innovation Nation” to Undersecretary Aldaba and Dr. Montoya. The coffee table book is a compilation of the profiles and stories of Filipino delegates to the Novartis Next Generation Scientist and the International Biotechnology Leadership Camp. It symbolizes the shared purpose of Novartis, DOST and DTI in developing young Filipino scientists and strengthening the country’s research and development capabilities.
About Novartis
Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world’s top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach more than 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 130,000 people of nearly 150 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at www.novartis.com.