To deliver against our Vision of “becoming the largest Eastern European consumer healthcare company” we have been using several models of company expansion. One of the approaches is a “greenfield” entry, when a parent company creates a new operation in a foreign country from the ground up. Bulgaria is a great example of the “greenfield” entry.
Sun Wave Pharma Bulgaria was established on June 28, 2022, 6 months before we started physical operations in the market. We started off by hiring Aneta Tzenova, a long-term CHC veteran, to a position of Country Manager. Aneta brings deep knowledge from Servier Bulgaria, where she acted as Commercial Lead OTC, as well as her 10 years at Beiersdorf and almost 3 years at Reckitt Benckiser.
After her initial introduction and onboarding, Aneta started to hire her team as of November 2022. The company has organised team spirit building weekends in 3 Bulgarian territories. But the cooperation has been extended beyond the borders of Bulgaria. Registration of products, observational study materials and statistical reports, product and compliance trainings, marketing presentations and designs have all been provided by a dedicated Romanian team. Then a Bulgarian version of the company website, an HR, financial, supply chain and legal support have been addressed by group leads.
Sun Wave Pharma has been split into 2 unique divisions: “Smart people” – dedicated to adults’ CHC products, detailed to cardiologists, neurologists, GPs and “Sunny kids” focused on kid’s CHC products, targeting Paediatricians and GPs. A typical “greenfield” feature is that capital is scare, thus a lot of very creative and cost-efficient solutions must be implemented. One of the medical representatives is an educated medical doctor. This is why he has been acting also as a medical trainer and advisor. He has developed online trainings to build and check the knowledge of the whole medical team.
The team needs to be constantly developed and trained. This is why the company has organised trainings in sales and presentation skills, feedback workshops for Regional Managers, team coaching sessions, CRM implementation training and a Compliance training.
Sun Wave Pharma Bulgaria has participated in 30 national medical events of the healthcare societies and at the annual event of the Bulgarian Pharmaceutical Union, has organized 39 round tables, 153 hospital and pharmacy presentations and 500 sun chats.
But we have not stopped there. In 2024 Sun Wave Pharma Bulgaria will continue our medical focus with medical visits and will reinforce in 2024 the team with additional sales representatives to cover the need of pharmacies in all territories.
Our organization in Bulgaria is strong, with professionals experienced in a pharma industry, devoted, and committed to grow and deliver the targets for 2024 to build a success story of the first” greenfield” entry of the Sun Wave Group.
