Read the Conversation
Conversation highlights:
- Mission as General Manager: With 25 years of experience in the healthcare in vitro and in vivo sectors across Latin America, navigating one of the most important healthcare markets in both the public and private sectors.
- Strategic priority: Sustained growth and a stronger national footprint, positioning QuidelOrtho as a leading in vitro diagnostics (IVD) player through technology leadership and close collaboration with public and private institutions.
- Market position and portfolio: QuidelOrtho ranks among the top three IVD companies in Mexico, supporting clinical chemistry, infectious disease, immunohematology, and cardiac testing.
- Technology and people: Automation is already driving efficiency, while AI adoption will be gradual. The focus is on combining strong technical foundations with soft skills, empathy, and a patient-first mindset.
- Outlook: Jesús remains optimistic about the future of Mexico’s IVD space, seeing strong opportunities through collaboration, continued investment, and sustainable technologies to help advance fast, accurate, and reliable results that help improve patient outcomes.
EF: Could you elaborate on your mission appointed as General Manager for QuidelOrtho in Mexico?
JH: I have worked at in vitro and in vivo companies, totalling 25 years of experience in the healthcare sector in Mexico and across Latin America. QuidelOrtho was looking for someone with deep knowledge of the local market, because Mexico is a complex healthcare market to navigate. It is a mix of private and public sectors and requires a strong understanding of the complexities while building trusted partnerships.
When I joined the company in 2023, the objectives were very clear. The priority was to continue growing in the market. Two main technologies exist in the IVD space, liquid chemistry and dry chemistry, and we are leaders in the latter. That leadership became more relevant as Mexico experienced a water crisis in 2023 and 2024, resulting in a strong opportunity. The goal was not just volume growth, but also footprint, positioning our technology as a competitive option in IVD, given its clear advantages over liquid chemistry. The industry was evolving, and we needed to adapt to changing standards.
Looking back, I believe my team and I delivered. With humility, I see QuidelOrtho as one of the leading IVD players in Mexico and well-positioned to continue growing across Latin America.
EF: What do you think are going to be the growth areas of your product portfolio in Mexico over the next few years?
JH: Clinical chemistry represents roughly 80 percent of our portfolio today, and it remains a significant driver. We also have a strong blood bank business, and we are uniquely positioned as the only company offering both serology and immunohematology. We bring more than 80 years of experience in serology and immunohematology. This unique combination of serology and immunohematology allows us to offer solutions that very few companies can provide. For example, we continue to further strengthen our portfolio by adding point-of-care products.
From hospital labs and clinics to the point of care, we’re building on a legacy of innovation. QuidelOrtho works with healthcare providers to advance diagnostics that connect insights with solutions, defining a clearer path for informed decisions and better care, which plays a particularly critical role in Mexico.
Over the past few years, we have expanded our presence significantly within the Mexican market. Approximately one-third of the Mexican population is impacted by our products, and roughly 25 million people rely on the results from the solutions we support. This gives us a significant responsibility to the country, which we take very seriously.
We work as a team to strengthen our long-term commitment and relationships with customers and patients. I often remind my team that while sales performance and key performance indicators (KPIs) are important, what truly matters is remembering that behind every instrument or solution, a patient is waiting for a diagnosis. It may be a routine test, or it may be someone waiting for a cardiac or oncology result. If we stay focused on our customers and their patients, the KPIs will follow naturally.
EF: You referred to Mexico as a challenging market with strong opportunities. What broader role does Mexico have for your company on a global level? How do you see the country evolving?
JH: Mexico is going through a period of transition, and our priority is to navigate it thoughtfully and collaboratively. There are important changes in the country today, including historic milestones such as the election of our first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum. Our key is to keep working collaboratively to deliver results for the country and engage constructively with the administration to deliver value for Mexico’s healthcare system.
There are many important opportunities ahead. The Mexican peso is currently very strong, and overall, the economy is in good shape. Mexico is an important trading partner with the United States, and it is essential to continue strengthening that relationship.
At QuidelOrtho, we are committed to Mexico as a strategic market. One of the most important contributions we can make is through our dry chemistry technology, especially in a country navigating water constraints. In moments of disruption, resilient and sustainable technologies become even more essential, and that is where I believe QuidelOrtho delivers value.
During the devastating hurricane in Acapulco two years ago, our VITROS™ Systems continued to function and deliver results with its dry chemistry. This is where we see our greatest value for Mexico. We believe our technology is sustainable and delivers high-quality results, even under the most challenging conditions.
EF: You say AI is essential for the future. How is QuidelOrtho already bringing digital solutions, automation, and AI into the healthcare sector?
JH: We already have automation in place, and many institutions in both the private and public sectors are using our systems. This helps laboratories operate more efficiently and improves overall performance.
When it comes to AI, however, I believe that we, like the rest of the industry, are still in a learning phase. We are working with selected laboratories studying workflows and understanding where AI can create the greatest value in diagnostics. Today, people often turn to tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot, expecting immediate diagnostic answers. That level of maturity may come in the future for IVD instruments, but we are not there yet. For now, we must trust our technology and, most importantly, our people. Chief laboratory scientists and technicians are essential to delivering accurate and reliable diagnostics. In time, AI may be able to support this process, but it cannot replace human expertise at this stage.
We are taking baby steps, considering what may be possible, and understanding the regulatory framework, as well as talking with laboratory chains. The future is promising, but progress must be gradual and responsible. If we build it correctly, the results will follow.
EF: As diagnostics becomes more digital and more data-driven, what skills and capabilities are most critical when it comes to building teams to face this next phase of growth in Mexico?
JH: We work in a very technical ecosystem, so strong foundational knowledge in chemistry, physiology, and medicine remains essential. That technical expertise will always be a core capability in diagnostics. However, we are entering a new era where soft skills matter more than ever. We need teams that combine technical excellence with empathy, communication, and collaboration.
We work for the company, and we must deliver results, but we also have families, responsibilities, and personal lives outside of work. Results matter, but keeping this in mind helps us lead with greater humanity and build stronger teams and partnerships.
EF: Looking ahead to this year and the next few years, where do you think healthcare investment should be prioritized to keep the sector high on the agenda and help achieve long-term goals?
JH: Data management is important; Today, our products and systems generate a significant amount of data that is not yet fully utilized. For example, our VITROS Systems are connected.
We believe the next step for the industry is to go further and make better use of this data to support diagnostics and, ultimately, patient care.
EF: What final message would you like to share with your colleagues in the sector?
JH: I see a very positive future for Mexico. I am more optimistic than those who view AI or new technologies as a threat. If we work together, we will be stronger. Of course, each company has its own KPIs and goals, but collaboration enables the delivery of better services and better solutions for patients and for the country.
Mexico is a stable market and a leader in our Latin America region, and we believe there is a very strong future here. QuidelOrtho is committed to our customers and operations in Mexico.
