CINDE Announces: Pfizer Grows In Costa Rica To Support Its Operations Across The Americas

News provided by

Nov 18, 2021, 10:35 ET

It will include attention for new functions related to human resources, supply chain and digital and information technologies.

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, Nov. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pfizer, one of the world's leading biopharmaceutical and innovative companies, and considered one of the best places to work, has announced its expansion in Costa Rica to support the company's operations in different countries across the Americas. Specifically, it will include attention for new processes related to the areas of human resources, supply chain planning, as well as digital and information technologies.

Currently, the country supports the entire operation in the continent and other parts of the world, in areas such as finance, risk management and compliance, transformation and project management, as well as compliance with anti-corruption regulations. The whole support unit is independent of Pfizer's commercial and pharmacovigilance teams in Costa Rica.

Pfizer's purpose is to bring breakthroughs that change patients' lives and this expansion is essential to support the realization of that purpose in different markets across the continent. Therefore, the company expects to hire more than 100 employees between the end of 2021 and 2022, to occupy new positions in Human Resources, financial services and in the digital area.

The President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, highlighted that in this situation of crisis due to the pandemic, Pfizer has been a very reliable supplier for the country, which has allowed the government to develop a successful vaccination campaign that places us among the countries with the highest percentage of vaccinated people.

"The expansion of operations of a company as important worldwide as Pfizer, demonstrates the confidence they have placed in a country that has shown a strong leadership in the life sciences sector, our main source of exports, which translates into a reliable environment where companies of the highest level have found the optimal conditions for their operations," said Alvarado.

Andrés Valenciano, Minister of Foreign Trade, said: "Pfizer has been in our country for more than 70 years and the news of its expansion demonstrates not only its strong commitment and confidence in Costa Rica, but also its support in the proposal to consolidate the country as a health sciences hub. Professionals in areas such as human resources, finance and information technology will be added to the more than 800 current employees of the company providing their services to a platform focused on continuous improvement of the health of their patients to more than 33 territories. We celebrate this news that brings quality jobs to Costa Ricans by a company that has innovatively and effectively managed to bring relief and stability to the health crisis we are facing."

Jorge Sequeira, Managing Director of CINDE, said: "We congratulate Pfizer for its growth by expanding its services from Costa Rica to the rest of the region. That demonstrates the versatility of Costa Rican human talent, in which leading companies like Pfizer trust Costa Rica to develop knowledge-based services. It is a field in which the country stands out internationally and whose dynamism and growth could exceed US$6 billion in exports this year, with an average annual growth of 18%, according to data from the Central Bank."

"We are pleased to announce Pfizer's nationwide expansion. This reaffirms our trust of more than 70 years in Costa Rica, its talent and government authorities, to successfully develop our operations for contributing to the health of thousands of patients in the region. This growth is also a sign of our support to the country's efforts to position itself as a health and life hub, where innovation, science and technology transfer must be strongly intertwined to place the Costa Rican health system as a benchmark worldwide, which encourages the integral well-being of the population, promotes human capital and enables greater economic growth," affirmed Bradley Silcox, General Manager of Pfizer Central America and the Caribbean (CAC).

Nathan Bland, Leader of Pfizer's Shared Services Center, remarked, "At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to provide people with therapies that significantly prolong and improve their lives. In this context, the company has focused on consolidating its operations in the Americas. When analyzing how to do that, we certainly thought of Costa Rica as the best place to incorporate new functions, thanks to the high potential and specialization of its human talent."

As a forward-thinking company, Pfizer conducted an exhaustive analysis of various markets and aspects to make the best decision. In addition to Costa Rica's human capital, Pfizer considered its presence of more than 70 years in the country; the operations of other companies with similar business lines, bilingual and trilingual staff, the country's life quality standard, as well as its socioeconomic and political stability. This expansion will generate among employees' new ideas, develop greater knowledge and experience, to be shared with other of the company's operations worldwide.

Pfizer's operations began in Costa Rica in 1950. In 2008, thanks to the region's evolution and potential, Pfizer's headquarters in the country became the Corporate Center for Central America and the Caribbean, from where it serves a total of 33 territories.

The talent, specialization and skills of Costa Ricans helped the country to position itself as a great option to offer services to Pfizer's global operation. Thus, the company established the Global Business Services area in 2013 and currently has more than 800 employees in the country.

SOURCE CINDE