Read the Conversation
Conversation highlights:
- Takeda’s ICC in Mexico is part of a global network of five ICC’s: Slovakia, India, China, and Japan. What has been most impactful is how these teams work together across time zones and cultures to support innovation for our therapeutic areas (gastrointestinal and inflammation, rare diseases, plasma-derived therapies, oncology, neuroscience, and vaccines).
- From Mexico, we contribute through multidisciplinary digital teams, bringing together data, software development, and agile ways of working to help tackle increasingly complex challenges across Takeda’s value chain.
- One of the realities we navigate is the pace of technology. Innovation cycles are moving fast, while biopharmaceutical development takes time. A big part of our focus is finding the right balance between both.
- Global companies will need to keep pace with rapid technological change while staying anchored in purpose. At Takeda, that means using technology and data to improve how we work and principally support outcomes for patients.
- With Takeda, patients are at the center of everything we do. Through digital talent and innovation, we can support increasingly complex initiatives while making a meaningful impact on patients, our teams, and the future of healthcare.
EF: It has been almost two years since Takeda's ICC Mexico offices were established. What has been your role evolution, and what are the most significant milestones since opening?
VV: When I joined Takeda, I started as the Global Lead for the External Experience team, overseeing the development of digital platforms and solutions that support how we engage with patients, healthcare professionals, and other external stakeholders. As a young organization, we’ve continued to adapt and evolve as we have grown. About a year ago, I was appointed as Site Lead for Mexico, while transitioning my previous responsibilities and now leading the Design team, focusing on user experience, product design, and how we create intuitive, effective digital solutions, so I’m currently wearing two hats.
A key milestone has been fully integrating Mexico into Takeda’s global ICC network. Today, we operate as one team across five centers in Slovakia, India, Mexico, China, and Japan, working in a connected way despite distance, time zones, and cultural differences.
EF: How does Mexico fit into Takeda's global footprint, and what specific contributions has the Mexico ICC made to international operations?
VV: The contributions come in an integrated, end-to-end way because we’re part of a global network. For example, to improve patient access and operational efficiency, teams in Mexico might build and manage data pipelines and quality controls, while Slovakia provides agile delivery leadership, and India develops the user-facing applications and APIs. Together, we deliver a single integrated solution aligned to shared priorities, standards, and outcomes.
What matters most is that we bring the right capabilities from across our network for each initiative. This global integration is a core part of how we operate and how we consistently deliver value.
EF: What's at the top of your agenda today, especially given rapid developments in AI and cloud technologies?
VV: A big part of my focus today is how we continue to support Takeda’s digital transformation in a meaningful way. Emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), along with data and new operating models, are changing how we work. Making it possible to be faster, more connected, and more responsive to business needs.
For us, it’s about using those capabilities to help teams make better decisions and work more effectively. I think a lot about how we keep evolving in that direction while staying focused on what really matters for the organization.
EF: As you look to the future of trusted digital biopharmaceutical companies, what capabilities will be most critical from a global perspective?
VV: Global companies will need to keep pace with rapid technological change while staying anchored in purpose. At Takeda, that means using technology and data to improve how we work and principally support outcomes for patients. It’s not just about adopting new tools; it’s about building an environment where teams can thrive, work closely with the business on a local and global level, and translate ideas into scalable solutions.
Continuous capability building is essential in this model, ensuring people can keep evolving and apply their expertise where it creates the most impact for the organization and, mainly, for patients.
EF: Why is Takeda investing in Mexico, and what makes it a compelling location for building innovation and capability centers from a global perspective?
VV: When we think about investing in Mexico, we are really thinking about long-term capability and impact, along with enabling innovation, empowering people, and delivering scalable solutions that improve outcomes for the patients we serve.
What stands out is the strength of the talent. Mexico has a growing pool of highly skilled engineers and digital experts, and when you connect that talent into a global network like our ICCs, you start to unlock stronger possibilities.
From here, teams are contributing to global products and platforms, working across data, software, and analytics to support initiatives that fundamentally improve how we operate and how we serve patients.
For me, that combination of strong local talent, global integration, and a clear sense of purpose is what makes investment in Mexico both strategic and sustainable.
EF: How do you allocate resources between internal stakeholder work, community engagement with academia, and problem-solving projects?
VV: Our work supports teams across all of Takeda’s therapeutic areas, including gastrointestinal and inflammation, rare diseases, plasma-derived therapies, oncology, neuroscience, and vaccines, as well as the broader value chain.
At the same time, we are building strong connections with the external ecosystem in Mexico, including academia, tech communities, and associations. That balance is important. Supporting global priorities while also staying connected to local innovation and talent.
EF: Given that innovation cycles move in short, recurring intervals while stakeholder adoption takes longer, how do you find the sweet spot between identifying needed changes and actual implementation capacity?
VV: Each therapeutic area moves at a different pace. What works in gastroenterology won’t necessarily apply to oncology or rare diseases, and manufacturing operates with its own dynamics altogether. Rather than applying a single model, we adapt to each context. Bringing together the right mix of expertise across R&D technology and operations.
This allows innovation to move quickly where it should, while ensuring adoption happens in the way that works for each area.
EF: Looking ahead to 2030, what can we expect from ICC Mexico, and what would be your dream project?
VV: One thing that won’t change is our focus on patients, which continues to guide how we make decisions. Looking ahead, we want to continue strengthening our role as a trusted, science-driven digital biopharmaceutical company, building on our long-term focus on innovation and patient impact.
For me, it’s about continuing to build teams that are connected to that purpose and can translate innovation into meaningful impact.
EF: What's your pitch to attract talent to the pharma sector, especially when competing with tech giants for top graduates?
VV: Our Purpose, “Better Health for People and a Brighter Future for the World,” is an immensely powerful differentiator. By empowering talent and connecting it to our global priorities, organizations can create long-term value. When people understand the value and impact of their work, it creates a different level of motivation.
At Takeda, our ICC teams work across data, AI, and digital platforms, solving complex challenges in a global environment. At the same time, they develop broader transferable skills, collaboration, adaptability, and a global mindset.
When you connect this with our purpose, knowing your work is contributing to improving patients’ lives and a future, you see a different level of energy. You can see their eyes glowing and their brains starting to generate ideas, which in turn facilitates stronger engagement within teams.
