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Meeting highlights:
- Zoetis's Priority Pillars: Emphasizing innovation across its diverse portfolio, disease education, customer experience, advancing in the digital space, and fostering a diverse and inclusive work culture.
- Zoetis's Portfolio: Pet care drives over 60% of revenue growth globally, while livestock remains crucial for food production and sustainability / Innovative launches in dermatology, osteoarthritis treatments, parasiticides, and vaccines are highlighted.
- German Market Significance: Germany ranks as the 5th largest animal health market globally and the 7th largest for Zoetis by revenue. The company’s market leadership in Germany is attributed to its innovation-driven growth and commitment to customer focus.
- Digital Transformation: Zoetis leverages AI and digital tools for customer engagement (e.g., e-commerce, Marketing content), internal productivity (AI-driven sales support), and innovations like AI-powered diagnostics (e.g., VETSCAN).
- Diversity and Culture: The importance of an inclusive culture and a diverse workforce as key drivers for success. Achievements include increasing gender diversity in leadership and earning Great Place to Work certifications.
- Vision for the Future: Julia is committed to advancing Zoetis’s role as a global leader in animal health, enhancing customer trust, fostering team culture, and driving synergies across regions, especially in her expanded role overseeing Europe and the Middle East.
EF: What are the main priorities on your agenda this year?
JG: In recent years, Zoetis has cemented its position as the global leader in animal health, and the opportunities ahead remain promising. Our success is built on a strong strategic framework. Through continuous R&D investment and our differentiated portfolio, we advance progress in our key franchises, including small animals and equine, and strengthen livestock innovation.
There continues to be a vast, unmet need in veterinary medicine, such as the lack of treatment options for chronic diseases in cats and dogs, and the livestock sector demands sustainable solutions to enhance productivity. We continuously invest in innovative solutions to meet the needs of companion animals, focusing on areas like renal, cardiology, diabetes, and oncology, while also prioritizing lifecycle innovation to match the preferences and expectations of veterinarians, producers, and pet owners.
While livestock once represented the majority of our business, the small animals segment has been a growth driver for years. Today, it represents over 60% of our global revenues. We continue to see that evolution continue as pet owners are increasingly visiting veterinarians and investing in therapies that enhance their pets' lives. Our expertise in dermatology and osteoarthritis pain (OA) in dogs and cats is industry-leading. Our monoclonal antibodies in these areas have transformed the quality of life for pets and their owners, and we are committed to further expansion.
However, the livestock sector remains vital due to its role in food production for the global population. We are dedicated to continued investment in this area and to supporting farmers through a comprehensive approach focusing on disease prediction, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Sustainability also plays a key role here, with initiatives like improving farm management practices and launching innovative vaccines, including a first-of-its-kind cattle vaccine against respiratory diseases.
EF: What is the role of diagnostics for Zoetis?
Although currently a smaller segment, Diagnostics has significant potential and is another area for future growth. AI is transforming diagnostics, treatment plans, and patient monitoring. These technologies enable faster and more accurate disease detection, personalized treatment plans, and predictive analytics for better health outcomes. A few years ago, we launched an AI-powered diagnostic tool called Vetscan Imagyst. It allows veterinarians to scan samples in their clinics, which are then sent to the cloud for an AI-based diagnosis. This tool was the first of its kind and is an excellent example of how AI is transforming veterinary care. Our journey with digital and AI has been about staying ahead, whether through innovative tools, better customer support, or improved internal productivity. These initiatives apply not only to our work in Germany but also globally, ensuring we remain industry leaders.
EF: What is Germany’s strategic importance to Zoetis globally?
JG: Germany is the fifth-largest animal health market in the world. Over the past five years, the German market has shown steady, mid-single-digit growth, and Zoetis has consistently performed strongly in this region. We estimate the German animal health market to be worth around $1 billion, and Zoetis has consistently outperformed the market over the last five to ten years. Our innovations, such as monoclonal antibodies, have driven our success, but other factors have also played a role. Germany is a key market for us, and our strong performance highlights the important role we play in it. Notably, we achieved market leadership in Germany in early 2023 – a milestone we are very proud of. This success is a testament to the strength of our product portfolio and our team, the relationships we have built with customers, and our consistent focus on delivering value to the veterinary sector.
EF: How can the new, recently announced commercial structure at Zoetis drive synergies across markets?
JG: Our new structure is designed to focus on the growth of both our business and reflects our commitment to effectively addressing local needs and priorities in a highly dynamic external environment. I am thrilled about taking on this new role as Regional President for Europe and the Middle East.
Europe is a mature and important region – the second-largest animal health region in the world after the U.S. and plays a crucial role for Zoetis. The Middle East, however, presents a different picture. While the pet care segment is a major revenue driver in Europe, the Middle East emphasizes production of animals like poultry and cattle, presenting significant opportunities for us in that region.
Despite some differences between these regions, there are also many similarities, especially regarding customer needs and standards of veterinary medicine. Both the European markets and the markets in the Middle East are incredibly dynamic. This makes it a great opportunity for Zoetis to build on our strengths and elevate our role across this region’s animal health sector.
Customer satisfaction is key for us at Zoetis. I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made in recent years. While there’s always room to grow and improve, we have built a strong reputation as a trusted partner for veterinarians, which is a major accomplishment. I am convinced that the new structure will help us strengthen our operational excellence and therefore customer satisfaction.
EF: How are you using digital tools and data to improve operations in Germany and the region?
In Germany, we launched our e-commerce channel about two and a half years ago, allowing veterinarians to order directly from us 24/7 through our online shop. This has quickly become our most important sales channel, showing tremendous growth. Additionally, we have been expanding digital communication with both customers and pet owners. For example, we run direct-to-consumer education campaigns to inform pet owners about diseases, leveraging digital platforms to spread awareness. For veterinarians, while face-to-face interaction with our reps remains their preferred communication channel, we have been supplementing this with digital tools to enhance education, customer service, and engagement.
EF: What steps are you taking with AI, and how do you see it shaping future operations?
JG: First of all, I want to emphasize that AI and data science are revolutionizing drug discovery and development. By harnessing vast amounts of clinical and non-clinical data, the industry can make faster, more precise decisions in creating new medicines and vaccines. This approach may help reduce the time from discovery to market.
Beyond R&D, AI already plays an important role in our commercial business. For example, in Germany, we introduced tools that assist our field reps in preparing for their day. Instead of manually gathering data, these tools use AI to give reps insights on which customers to prioritize, what products to discuss, and what opportunities to focus on. I believe we are leading the industry in this area.
EF: How are you driving the use of AI at Zoetis?
We are enhancing digital fluency among our employees, providing extensive training on digital tools and AI capabilities. We encourage our teams to integrate AI into their daily work in various ways. However, it is also important to emphasize that critical thinking is needed more than ever to evaluate the results of AI systems and ensure they are accurate. An ethical and responsible approach to AI is of crucial importance to us at Zoetis.
Personally, I strive to be a role model in using AI tools like ChatGPT and Co-Pilot, which have significantly boosted my productivity and the quality of my work. I openly share how I use these tools to encourage my teams to adopt them in their daily tasks as well.
EF: Why is diversity important, and how do you promote organizational culture and regional synergies?
JG: Diversity, equity, and inclusion are very close to my heart and truly one of my passions. When I took on my former role as Cluster Lead Central Europe three and a half years ago, I saw a huge opportunity for the teams in my region to take things to the next level. One area in which we have made significant strides is gender diversity. When I started in Germany, about 30% of our leaders were women. We have since increased that to nearly 50%, which shows important progress. We know that having a diverse team makes us more successful as a company. In today’s fast-changing world, having different perspectives is essential to navigating challenges and driving innovation. There is plenty of research showing that companies with greater inclusion – whether it is in background, experiences, ethnicities, or viewpoints – tend to perform better. One step we have taken is signing the "Charta der Vielfalt" (Diversity Charter), a German employer initiative to promote inclusion in companies and institutions, as a way to signal our commitment.
EF: Reflecting on your 17 years with the company, what achievements are you most proud of?
JG: I have been with Zoetis since day one and experienced the transition from Pfizer to Zoetis. Witnessing the company’s growth in identity, culture, and core values has been incredible. Our senior management has excelled in bringing Zoetis to life, and I am proud to have been part of this journey, including the IPO and everything that followed.
As for what I am most proud of, it is hard to pinpoint just one thing. In my former role as Cluster Lead for Central Europe, I started with the goal of expanding our presence in the market. We lead in Germany and are making important progress in France. We have become not just a global leader in animal health but also a significant voice in both countries. That is something I am incredibly proud of.
Diversity and culture have also been key areas of my focus. Transforming our culture and taking it to the next level over the past years has been a privilege. As I take on a new region, I feel fortunate to work with a strong team and continue building on this foundation. My goal is to help drive progress and set the organization up for the next phase of growth, ensuring we are positioned for success in the years and decades ahead.
EF: Do you have any final message you want to share with our readers?
JG: I believe the industry we work in is not only resilient but also one of the most exciting. Our purpose – to advance care for animals – plays a key part in nurturing the world and humankind. We have the privilege of working with veterinarians, an incredible group of professionals who are deeply driven by purpose. Their dedication truly shines through and inspires everyone around them. This is what keeps me passionate about our work, even amid global challenges and crises. Our industry is dynamic and resilient. I am confident Zoetis will continue to lead and play a pivotal role in advancing animal care.
