An organisation with a diverse talent pool not only makes for good social sense but also makes for perfect business sense

Samina Hamied, Executive Vice-Chairperson, Cipla, talks about leading from the front, building an inclusive, diverse and equitable workplace, making Cipla future-ready and more in an exclusive interview with Ashwini Prakash, Managing Partner India, Asia Pacific Lead – Pharma, Healthcare, Life Sciences and Consumer products, Stanton Chase India

- Ashwini Prakash

You are leading Cipla from the front, was joining the family business always a plan?

Before joining Cipla, I worked at Goldman Sachs as an investment banker for almost five years across their London and New York offices. I joined the firm right after completing my Masters at the London School of Economics.

My entry into Cipla in 2011 was at a time when the company was on the cusp of change. I took a call to switch over from my career as an investment banker in London to my family business here in India. Given that I had practically no experience in the pharmaceutical sector and that Cipla was also at a critical turning point, it was a big leap to take and a massive responsibility. But I saw it differently. For me, it was an opportunity to infuse fresh thinking into the organisation and refresh the existing mindset to lead it towards future growth. In hindsight, I couldn't have asked for a more opportune time than that.

Coming from the founding family, did you face any stereotype challenges? What was your go-to strategy?

While I was very happy to join the family business, I had apprehensions about foraying into a new domain. My first challenge was to develop a solid understanding of how pharma functioned as an industry. Consequently, I spent a lot of time with strong mentors to understand how the generics business runs.