3 Questions to Leila Schwery-Bou-Diab – VP Manufacturing & Technical Operations Janssen, Johnson & Johnson

What do you want to focus on in your role as Member of the Board of Interpharma?

I want to collaborate proactively within Interpharma to leverage the strong network and capabilities in Switzerland. I am looking forward to combining my personal and Johnson & Johnson’s network in Switzerland with the one of other key players, from the industry, the academia or the patient landscape. Because I am convinced that we need to continue pushing the boundaries of science and innovation to ultimately maximize the value we bring to patients, in Switzerland and globally.

2. Where do you see the most urgent challenges for Switzerland as a pharmaceutical hub?

We are moving to the era of more disruptive innovations in a VUCA environment; volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity are part of the ways we do business today, especially in life sciences. That’s why the strategies and approaches that made Switzerland successful in the past will not get us where we need to be in the future. Key areas of focus will be the digitalization where Switzerland is falling behind. That’s a key challenge I want to work on in my new role at Interpharma.

Additionally Switzerland needs to remain competitive for international talents, another challenge to tackle as an industry and all together.

3.In the Interpharma Annual Report 2021, the topic of Sustainable Development Goals was put in the spotlight. What is Johnson & Johnson doing in this area?

One health comes with one planet. Sustainability is a key topic at Johnson & Johnson. Building on our strong legacy of climate action we announced Johnson & Johnson’s next generation of climate goals: By 2025, we aim to source 100% of our electricity needs from renewable sources. By 2030 we will achieve carbon neutrality for our operations.
Johnson & Johnson has been recognized as a leader in environmental sustainability, but we believe that we also need to collaborate: as an industry overall, together with patients, health care professionals and partners, we have an important role to play in responding to climate change.