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News / May 21, 2024

Hovione again ranks among best employers in Portugal

Hovione has placed fourth among the best companies to work in Portugal and was again the best in the Health Sector according to Randstad´s Employer Brand Research.

Hovione wins Randstad Award for best company to work_HR Director Catarina Tendeiro receiving the award on the stage | Hovione

Lisbon, May 21, 2024 – Hovione has placed fourth among the best companies to work in Portugal and was again the best in the Health Sector according to Randstad´s Employer Brand Research. The research, which was published yesterday, identified the 20 best employers in Portugal.

This is the ninth annual edition of Ranstad´s study, which is based on a representative sample of the Portuguese workforce. The respondents evaluate companies according to a range of different criteria, including salary and benefits, job security, work atmosphere, and career progression opportunities.

Employer branding can have a significant impact on an organization's ability to attract and retain top talent and so is becoming an increasingly important part of a company a strategy to address the talent shortage challenge. 

Ilda Ventura, VP of Human Resources at Hovione explains that “Our global HR strategy is built on the need to attract, retain and empower our talented team members. Therefore, our Employer Branding needs to reflect the reality of who we are, so that we don’t just attract new talent but allow current team members to flourish. It also needs to capture the positive impact that Hovione has on the world, and how our innovative work relies on the knowledge and problem solving of our team members. We continue to work on refining and improving the work we do on our EB. This too is an important reflection of our values, and our belief in continuous improvement.”

This is the third successive year that has been ranked as the most attractive company to work for in the Health Sector and placed in the top five overall  This recognition comes after Hovione was recognized as a Top Employer in all four of its global sites in January 2024, becoming the first company in Macau to do so. 

 

About Hovione

Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing operations. As a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) it has a fully integrated offering of services for drug substances, drug product intermediates and drug products. The company has four FDA inspected sites in the USA, Portugal, Ireland and China and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA. Hovione provides pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs, including highly potent compounds, and customized product solutions across the entire drug life cycle. In the inhalation area, Hovione offers a complete range of services, from API, formulation development and manufacturing, capsule filling and devices.  
 
Hovione's culture is based on innovation, quality and dependability. Hovione is a member of Rx-360, EFCG and participates actively in industry quality improvement initiatives to lead new global industry standards.

 

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In an interview with Executiva, a portuguese media outlet focused on women´s leadership, Diane Villax, co-founder and long-standing leader of Hovione, reflects on her journey and the company’s development over more than six decades. Diane Villax’s career began at a time when few women worked outside the home. At 19, she joined a trading company as a foreign languages correspondent, where she developed essential business skills — including commercial correspondence, banking and export procedures — that later proved instrumental in helping her husband, Ivan Villax, establish Hovione in 1959. From its earliest days operating in the family home in Lisbon, Hovione adopted an international outlook. The company’s first major customers were in Japan, setting demanding quality standards that helped shape its long-term position in global markets. Over the following decades, Hovione expanded its footprint with the construction of its first manufacturing site in Loures (1969), followed by expansion to Macau (1986), the United States (New Jersey, early 2000s) and Ireland (Cork). The company grew into a global organization with more than 2,500 employees — including over 300 scientists — and a reputation as a preferred supplier to leading pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Throughout the interview, Diane highlights the values that have guided the company’s development: a commitment to excellence, a strong work ethic, and a focus on quality and long-term relationships. Although she did not have formal business training, she learned “on the job” and brought discipline, precision and structure to her role — particularly in the company’s early financial and administrative leadership. Now in her nineties and an active member of Hovione’s Board of Directors, Diane Villax remains engaged with the company’s evolution and governance, reflecting a continued commitment to its long-term development. Her story reflects entrepreneurial drive, resilience and long-term leadership — and offers insight into the values that have shaped Hovione’s trajectory for more than six decades. Read the full interview at Executiva.pt (in portuguese).    

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