Read the Conversation
EF: When did you join Galderma, and what was your mission when assuming the role of general manager in Brazil?
LCS: I started in Galderma’s offices in Belém as a junior employee 20 years ago. After five years, I took on a senior role. The Aesthetics business unit was just starting when the company allowed me to assume a new commercial position in the south of Brazil. After three years, I had the opportunity to move to São Paulo to be a key account manager. My goal from the start was to become a product manager, and I achieved this dream after just one year.
As a product manager, I developed a service platform in the Aesthetics unit and later managed the neuromodulator project.
In 2019, I became head of the Aesthetics business. As the leader of this unit, I drove management changes in the organization that enabled us to achieve huge successes. We tripled the size of the business unit and tripled the size of the company. This growth has been the greatest achievement in my career so far. With the support of my boss, who is now the head of Galderma USA, and a large and strong team, which helped me focus, I developed myself to assume the role of general manager.
Now my role is to make the exponential growth Galderma has experienced in the last three years sustainable. Galderma Brazil is the highest and fastest-growing market for the company in Latin America.
Part of our growth strategy is launching more practical e-commerce platforms, entering new channels, and developing new business models to follow market dynamics and trends. We put a lot of focus on the structure to support internal processes and smart ways of working, as we need to improve productivity and prepare the company for the new wave of expansion. We want to capitalize on new business units while maintaining growth and leadership in our core aesthetics business.
We are preparing new launches in our consumer care business unit and bringing in a new concept for the pro-aging market. The company is re-entering and renaming this category, as our goal is to follow the aging process in the best way possible.
A big milestone for Galderma will be the entry into the biological segment with an important launch for atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis – a crucial addition to our acne portfolio that we are preparing for the coming years. We will have novel products in our Aesthetics business with a new generation of neuromodulators and fillers.
We need to prepare the company for these launches while keeping ahead of market trends, market dynamics, new consumer behavior, and new business models.
EF: What role does Brazil play in advancing Galderma's portfolio innovation?
LCS: Brazil is known for having a significant market for dermatology products, which presents opportunities for companies like Galderma to expand and innovate, thanks to our solid core business. The company has confidence that we are able to innovate without jeopardizing the focus on our main products. Recently, Brazil was the first market in the world to embrace Galderma’s pro-aging concept and launch Cetaphil Healthy Renew, our line of products for healthy skin rejuvenation.
Latin America has a variety of consumer behaviors that we need to address in our innovation pipeline. Our production plant in Brazil gives us the opportunity to quickly adapt products to the region.
Brazil is also the first country to adopt e-commerce for HCPs (Health Care Professionals) in the aesthetics market and will also be the pioneer in launching a loyalty program with financial and qualitative benefits for our clients.
We also have several initiatives aimed at customer education and training. The Galderma Aesthetic Injector Network (GAIN) was rolled out in Brazil a few years ago and has become a global strategy for our company. This platform is designed to support HCPs and improve their injection skills so they can provide the best patient journey and experience in the clinic. We also support our customers in the management of their professional relationships, their entrepreneurial skills, and their business strategies. We teach them how to attract more patients and do cross-selling because we believe that the success of the HCPs is our success. Our focus is on expanding knowledge.
EF: What is your strategy for the goal of becoming the global leader in dermatology?
LCS: Galderma is positioned as the leading company in the field of dermatology, specializing exclusively in this area. We offer a comprehensive range of cutting-edge products and services based on scientific research. Our portfolio includes premium flagship brands and services that cover the entire spectrum of the fast-growing dermatology market. We focus on three main areas: Injectable Aesthetics, Dermatological Skincare, and Therapeutic Dermatology. Our Integrated Dermatology Strategy is unique and reflects our determination to become the world’s leading dermatology company.
We think about how we are going to attract more patients and how we are going to generate and increase demand. The majority of the demand is in the clinics and among the HCPs. In order to sell to them, we need to put the patient at the center of everything we do.
We need to educate the patient and inform them about the huge benefits they can obtain from our products and aesthetic procedures. The market has significant potential for growth, as many individuals are seeking the benefits of high-end cosmetic procedures or skin care. For this reason, it is crucial to provide clear guidance to help them understand and effectively address their requirements.
EF: How is Galderma using artificial intelligence in its operations?
LCS: AI is helping us identify consumer behaviors, which will enable us to address their needs in the most efficient way. Through this process, we’re further improving our communication strategies by customizing our messages to meet specific demands. Therefore, AI already plays a crucial role in streamlining this journey.
EF: If you had to choose the pillars to build a sustainable business on, what would they be?
LCS: The first pillar is people. Galderma is a company of opportunities, and it’s our responsibility to prepare our talent for the present and the future. Last year, Galderma started a huge people-development program, which identifies talented and high-potential people and prepares them for the right position in the company. This initiative is closely connected to sustainable growth because we have put many people in new leadership positions.
The second pillar is to keep capitalizing on data and technology that make our work more efficient and increase productivity. We recently appointed a digital transformation leader who is in charge of this evolution.
EF: Five years from now, what would you like to have achieved?
LCS: I would like my life story to inspire people. I want to leave a legacy that can inspire the whole organization. I am a very authentic person and represent the diversity and inclusion of Galderma because I am a woman who came from a poor family in the north of the country.
I also aspire to impact our community positively. As market leaders in Brazil, we are responsible for giving back to society. I want to increase the number of social responsibility projects in Galderma since, with a large Brazilian customer base, it is our obligation to give back to the country our clients come from.
