Life Sciences: Recordati Ireland - A local footprint with a global reach

In association with Recordati Ireland

Recordati is an Italian-headquartered pharmaceutical group dedicated to partnering, discovering and developing innovative, value-added products that improve the quality of life and help people to enjoy longer, healthier and more productive lives.

Founded in 1926, the company is headquartered in Milan and is listed on the Italian Stock Exchange since 1984.

Davide Botta (centre) production manager with members of the maintenance team from left, Barry Corcoran, Wayne Barrett, Darragh Rodgers and Brendan Morrison.

Recordati has operations across much of the globe, including the whole of Europe, Russia, Turkey, North Africa, the United States of America, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Australia and a number of South American countries.

“We work in several therapeutic areas such as cardio-vascular, urology, neurosciences, as well as gastro-enterology and respiratory,” explains Cédric Ripert, Managing Director of Recordati Ireland Ltd and Vice-President for International Pharma Sales.

“Recordati is committed to the research and development of new specialties with a focus on treatments for rare diseases.

"We manufacture specialty products and self-medication products, and the Group also has an Orphan drug division.”

With more than 4,000 employees and with global revenues of over €1.3 billion, the Group has a direct presence through approximately 20 affiliates, mainly in Europe where it continues to expand its footprint.

In 2018, for instance, Recordati opened new offices in the Benelux and Nordic territories.

The Group has had a presence in Ireland since 2002, when it established an affiliate to start the local commercialisation of Zanidip, an anti-hypertensive drug.

Mr Ripert said: “Interestingly enough, the active ingredient of that drug is still being produced in our plant in Cork.”

The production building at Recordati Ireland, Raheens East, Ringaskiddy.

Recordati’s four main areas of activity in Ireland

Today, Recordati Ireland is a key affiliate for the group. Recordati in Ireland has four main activities:

• Production
• Commercialisation of its products on the Irish domestic market
• International Pharma business through licensees and distributors across the world
• Inter-company business with other affiliates of the Group

“We have a local footprint in Cork, but with a global reach,” says Mr Ripert. “Our business is very international.”

Based in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, Recordati has grown significantly over recent years, underlined by a 20% increase in employee numbers since 2013.

“Although we are not very big, with 60 employees here, our workforce is very international — Irish and Italian, of course, but also French, like myself.

"We also have people from the Ukraine, Spain, Mexico, India, Serbia, Poland and others. Even our Board of Directors is quite international, composed of Irish, Italian, French, Portuguese and Swiss.”

An international workforce dedicated to improving global healthcare

From its Cork base, Recordati oversees its export business to more than 130 countries across the world.

Cédric Ripert said: “We therefore deal with a very large number of commercial partners in big and in small markets in literally all corners of the planet — across Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.”

Recordati Ireland also manages significant business in mainland Europe through co-marketing partnerships with prominent pharma companies.

“Given the diversity of the businesses operated from Cork, our organisation is quite unique in the diversity of our functions, including production, quality assurance, key account management, export managers, finance, supply chain, regulatory, legal and international marketing.

"Whenever possible, we always try to scout talent locally, and to also support Cork universities.

"We have taken on finance graduates from UCC and Quality Assurance/Quality Control students from CIT.

"We have also employed production operators directly from the Cork Educational Training Board,” he adds.

The diversity of the businesses operated from Cork explains the range of roles that Recordati need locally: production, quality assurance, key account management, export managers, finance, supply chain, regulatory affairs, legal, marketing etc.

Diverse cultural backgrounds

“The diversity of the cultural backgrounds, the variety of our functional areas and the size of our organisation make it a truly friendly environment to work in, while we also continue to make continuous site investments to keep improving our workspace here at Recordati,” Mr Ripert explains in relation to the company’s ongoing focus upon improving work conditions.

To accompany our recent growth, we expanded our offices and quality control laboratories two years ago, and we have just invested in a larger and cosier canteen so that our employees have more space to gather for lunch or for a casual catch-up over a cup of coffee.

Mr Ripert joined Recordati in November 2017 as Vice President, International Pharma Sales.

He previously worked at Novartis France, Basilea Pharmaceutica and Shire.

"Although we are always in the process of recruiting new faces to accommodate our growing business, something that immediately struck me when I joined the company one year ago was the stability of our workforce: 40% of our employees have been with us for more than ten years, a clear sign that Recordati Ireland provides a working environment that appeals to our employees.

“While Recordati Ireland may not be of the same scale as many of the other companies operating around us here in Ringaskiddy, our more compact size ensures that all employees have the benefit of being well exposed to what is happening within the company.

We are not compartmentalised as is often the case in larger organisations — all faces are familiar here, and we believe this promotes a more collegial and productive working environment.

Every employee in Recordati Ireland can see the personal impact he or she has in ensuring the company’s continued success into the future.

“Even those not working in production get literally well connected with the essence of our activity, which is to produce and to sell pharmaceutical drugs.

"From my office window, I like very much, for instance, to see the trucks leaving the plant with our product, wondering which country is the final destination.

“Seeing all this activity is a concrete sign that business is going well, something I am of course very happy about, both as an employee and as head of the international business.”

Davide Botta (right) production manager with Mark Ford (left) and Ger Horgan at the finished product manufacturing area

Infrastructure and talent key to company’s sustained success

Ease of access to international markets is essential for growing companies like Recordati Ireland, and adding to the list of available flight connections is vital for future prosperity.

“I am pleased to see how Cork Airport continues to develop, and I look forward to seeing more year-round direct connections to large business as well as tourism destinations like, for instance, Milan and Madrid,” notes Cédric Ripert vice-president, international pharma sales, Recordati Ireland.

“Connectivity is always important in business, and especially to enable a growing region like Cork access to international business centres.

“It is also very gratifying to see how the Ringaskiddy Harbour project continues to develop, and it was great to see the recent addition of a new restaurant opening locally,” he adds.

The new canteen at Recordati Ireland, Raheens East, Ringaskiddy.

“We try to support local businesses as much as possible by buying local and contracting with local companies whenever that is possible, such as IT services, engineering and catering.

"We very often take visitors coming here to Recordati to local restaurants.”

Recordati is part of the Pharmaceutical Industry association in Ringaskiddy.

“We are also involved with the Ringaskiddy local residents association and one of our board members attends the local resident association on behalf of the company,” said Mr Ripert.

“We support the annual Ringaskiddy clean-up day when employees give of their time as part of the organised clean-up of the local area along with other pharma companies.

"Alongside fellow pharma companies, we are always very keen to closely follow and support the infrastructure projects that would benefit the broader community."