Company: Sandoz AG, Basel, Basel-Stadt
Company Description: Sandoz is the global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines. Driven by its purpose to pioneer access for patients, more than 20,000 people work together to ensure 800 million patient treatments are provided annually, generating substantial global healthcare savings and an even larger social impact. Sandoz traces its heritage back to 1886. In 2023 it recorded sales of USD 9.6 billion.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications, Investor Relations or PR Executive of the Year
 Nomination Title: Steffen Kurzawa
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the achievements of the nominee since 1 January 2022, OR written answers to the questions for this category? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: Briefly describe the nominee: his or her history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 197 words used.
Steffen Kurzawa (53) is Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Sandoz, the global market leader for generics and off-patent biotech medicines. He has been with Sandoz since 2015 and was responsible for the communications of the Sandoz spin-off in October 2023 as well as the rebranding of the company. He also led the global repositioning of Sandoz, and drove its public affairs strategy in the context of the drug shortage crisis in Europe.
Before joining Sandoz, Kurzawa was Head of Communications and Public Affairs at Bayer CropScience, which became the global market leader in crop protection during his tenure (2007-2015). His work at Bayer CropScience was recognized with numerous communications awards.
As Head of International and Litigation Communications at Bayer, Kurzawa was previously responsible for managing communications outside Germany and led the Group's international crisis communications. He successful managed communications during the Baycol product liability lawsuits in the US and other major reputation issues. Kurzawa is a trained journalist and studied economics and political science in Cologne. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Institute for Public Relations and a member of the Page Society. He has worked in Germany, Japan, Singapore and Switzerland.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Outline the nominee's achievements since the beginning of 2022 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 248 words used.
With a market capitalization of around EUR 11 billion+, the Sandoz spin-off was the largest listing of 2023 in Europe. Steffen Kurzawa managed the entire communicative preparation and implementation of the listing. In addition to the rebranding of the Sandoz brand and timely and inclusive internal communications, his proactive media and executive communications work played a major role in the successful listing, which gave the new Sandoz shareholders a 33% increase in the share price as of May 15, 2024.
A key achievement of Kurzawa and his team was to keep Sandoz employees closely informed and involved during the two-year spin-off process. This required intensive internal communication to explain negative media headlines to employees and keep them focused on the company's short- and medium-term goals due to the initially critical media opinion of Sandoz. Extensive campaigns to raise employees' self-awareness as the "new founding generation of Sandoz" led to high engagement rates and great confidence in the company's future.
Externally, through an intensive executive communications and media relations program, Kurzawa achieved a 180-degree change in media favorability from "very negative" to "neutral-positive", and a significant increase in awareness of Sandoz. Kurzawa positioned the Sandoz CEO as the leading voice of the industry in media, social and the broader public.
Kurzawa also spearheaded the refresh of the Sandoz brand with his Corporate Affairs team and an international branding agency, which was implemented with 200 assets from the corporate website to videos, brochures, advertising campaigns, outdoor signage and annual report.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 240 words used.
A particular challenge of the going public was the initially critical media coverage (Basler Zeitung: "Novartis wants to sell off its historical legacy"; Süddeutsche Zeitung: "Why Novartis wants to get rid of Sandoz"; Sonntagszeitung: "The federal government should nationalize drug supplier Sandoz"). Kurzawa achieved a complete reversal of the media tonality from 55% "negative" to 97% "positive and neutral" through successful media work. With close to 10,000 media reports and a reach of almost 15 billion people, the listing communications contributed significantly to an increase in company media awareness.
In internal communications, employee surveys showed that 92% and 88% of managers and employees respectively felt well informed about the spin-off, and 95% and 91% were enthusiastic about being able to help shape the future of Sandoz.
Kurzawa also emphasized Sandoz's leading role as a pioneer in patient care and positioned Sandoz in the debate on drug shortages. At the beginning of the covid pandemic, he had already made Sandoz the first pharmaceutical company in the world to keep the prices of its coronavirus medicines stable. Kurzawa was also an early advocate for the expansion of production capacities: Sandoz is investing EUR 200 million in a new antibiotics plant which will be able to supply antibiotics to the whole of Europe.
Kurzawa also helped Sandoz get voted as "Company of the Year" by industry publication "Generics Bulletin" and secured the win Sandoz CEO Richard Saynor as "Leader of the Year".
- You have the option to answer this final question: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 64 words used.
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