Dr. Daniel Thadani, Country Head, IPCA Laboratories, Ukraine
Dr. Daniel Thadani, was born in India in a remote village. He completed his schooling in India and left for Ukraine to study medicine. He started his career as a medical representative and progressed to head a therapy, then a division, then a profit and loss account, and then a country operation.
Podcast
Overview
Our guest for today spoke to us from the epicenter of the war, Ukraine. He is a medical professional living in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Our guest, Dr. Daniel Thadani, was born in India in a remote village. He completed his schooling in India and left for Ukraine to study medicine. He started his career as a medical representative and progressed to head a therapy, then a division, then a profit and loss account, and then a country operation.
By now Dr. Daniel Thadani has worked in multiple countries of the CIS as the country head for major Indian pharmaceutical companies, leading a culturally and linguistically diverse workforce.
Dr. Daniel considers him a human being first and a facilitator and a servant leader next and a country business head last.
The current situation of Ukraine
Talking about the current unfortunate situation of Ukraine, Dr. Daniel tells us that he was on a business trip in the western part of Ukraine when the war between Ukraine and Russia started.
He had to rush back to Kyiv to his family. He tells us that going to Kyiv is still better, but it is quite dangerous to come out of Kyiv.
As he was speaking to us on the sixth day of the war, he told us that the first three nights were the most terrifying. He and his children were suffering from sleepless nights. He calls it their journey now.
What motivates medical students like Dr. Daniel to move to the CIS countries to study medicine?
Moving on to the medical journey, Dr. Daniel tells us that there are many reasons why people from India move to the CIS countries to study medicine. The reasons can be:
- The medical faculty of CIS countries, especially Ukraine is somewhat better than the rest of the world. He tells us that there used to be a misconception that if a person studies medicine from Ukraine, they won’t be able to practice in other countries. However, breaking all the misconceptions, Dr. Daniel tells us that he knows many people who have studied medicine from Ukraine and have performed exceptionally well in countries like India and the USA.
- Another benefit of studying medicine from Ukraine, Dr. Daniel talks about, is the fee structure. He says that there is a huge difference in the fees of medical colleges in India and the CIS countries.
- He tells us that language is not a prominent barrier when it comes to Ukraine. One can easily study in English as all the courses are available in that language. All the teachers are well versed in English too.
Are the degrees one gets in Ukraine accepted worldwide?
Dr. Daniel tells us that a person graduating from Ukraine needs to give preliminary exams in other countries. That is a prerequisite for almost every country and he believes that it should be there. However, in many European countries, a Ukrainian graduate gets some relaxation.
How different is the pharma business in India compared to other countries?
Dr. Daniel tells us that in the CIS space, he believes that branded generic medicines have dominance. Secondly, the government of the CIS countries is trying to reduce the burden from the payers of medicine through reimbursement.
Lastly, he tells us that the treatment process in the CIS countries is based on etiological treatment. Whereas in India he believes that there is a more systematic and symptomatic process of treatment.
How are the E-pharma platforms affecting the retail market of pharmaceutical companies?
Dr. Daniel affirms that the E-pharma platforms are both disruptive and unicorn in the pharmaceutical supply chain today. They are easily approachable to the patients. He tells us that even in the CIS countries, the major pharmacy chains have now opened their E-pharma platforms too.
Must have qualities for a CEO
Considering the fact that apart from being a medical professional, Dr. Daniel is also a business leader, our host asks him about what he believes are some of the qualities a CEO should possess. To this, Dr. Daniel says that he believes that:
- A leader should be clear in what he does and ask all the stakeholders. He believes that clarity brings trust.Â
- Secondly, he believes that the leader should have a vision for the future.
- Then he talks about trust. He says if a thing is said and done multiple times, it creates trust.
- Next, he talks about appreciation. He says that appreciation in this tik-tok and like era should be instant and affirming.
What kind of leadership is Dr. Daniel providing to his subordinates in a time of crisis?
Dr. Daniel tells us that there are three major phases that a human mind goes through in a time of crisis. In the first phase, we start panicking. Then we activate our mind to start working. Lastly, we start taking action to come out of the crisis.
So Dr. Daniel first connected with his whole team over social media platforms. He asked them to stay safe in their places. Secondly, he advised them to look into the government sources of information and act accordingly.
He also calls them daily to create a sense of togetherness and bonding with them to keep them cool and motivated. He says that he has found out that crisis brings people together.
