Daniel Quirós

What are the main challenges for GSK in the current landscape, and what objectives have you set for the company?

We are the largest OTC company in both Colombia and around the world, and one of our objectives is to maintain our leadership on a local and global level, not only from a sales perspective but also in terms of innovation, which is a pillar of our growth for the coming years. We will continue to develop innovative products that improve the health of Colombians, accompanying them in their care and playing in new segments where we are not currently. Our main priority is making products accessible to the consumer and educating them on self-care. Today, the customer prefers to get products through online shopping or e-commerce, which is why it is so important for us as GSK to innovate from that side as well and be disruptive in the way we communicate with customers, how we deliver products, and what we do to approach and understand their needs. Now, we must capture the consumer attention from a human point of view, conscious, educating and concerned about the well-being.

What factors made Colombia interesting for GSK from a business development perspective?

For GSK, the Americas represent the largest region for the consumer business, with 41% of OTC sales (USD3.3 billion). Colombia is precisely among the countries in the region with highly significant growth potential for GSK; it is one of the focus markets for us with a cumulative future of development well ahead of the rest of the region, and that means we will continue to invest in the country in research, innovation, science and quality. We have three fundamental pillars in the market: innovation, trust, and the performance of our company. Innovation means scientific and technical excellence, where we invest in developing and launching new products to cater to the needs of patients and consumers. Our second pillar is trust, which is essential to drive the long-term growth for our company and add value to society. We are an extremely responsible company, and we use technology to address health needs. We want to be partners with our patients. Finally, we aim to achieve leading growth and develop our human talent to reach all our objectives.

Can you give us an overview of the projects and initiatives related to working with the consumer?

We have products in different segments, and all of them aim to protect consumers under self-care umbrellas. However, we always look for new segments to give consumers more options and empower their own self-care. Our goal has always been to be one of the most innovative, highest performing, and trusted companies in consumer health, helping people do more, feel better, and live longer. GSK’s greatest interest will always be to take care of people’s health, meeting the challenges that this represents every day, and for that, we give them several options so they can make informed decisions about their health, as well as educate and accompany them on the road to wellness.

What is GSK’s impact on Colombian society?

We work with the government, for example, to find ways to accompany consumers to find different ways to improve their lives; with consumers in the pharma and OTC divisions to develop great solutions for patients; and we also have a portfolio to work with patients suffering from ailments. The Americas region and Colombia play an essential role in fulfilling GSK’s global purpose of helping people do more, feel better and live longer. This is GSK’s number-one vision: to accompany the daily health of Colombians with humanity, from understanding their needs and always offering them affordable products, to generating awareness and education about self-care. For us, it is key that the consumer can make informed decisions about their health and in that we are also innovating, it is not only about a brand, but to manage that closeness with people from an empathetic, transparent, and integral point of view.