Balancing act: A chat with Pharmalink’s president

The pharmaceutical industry is a multi-billion dollar business. The race to discover new drugs, improving on existing medicine to relieve and cure diseases and ailments, and increasing people’s awareness of these latest developments continue everyday — which is why it’s no surprise that this business can be a challenging, albeit stressful one.

Yet Tito Tolentino, president of Pharmalink Philippines, has chosen to build his whole career in healthcare, making his way to become a formidable persona in the pharmaceutical industry. "My first job in the industry was as a medical representative for one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the country," shared Tolentino. He moved quickly to various positions in product management, sales operations, marketing and business development.

A thirst for knowledge, coupled with unrelenting drive and passion, helped Tolentino smoothly climb the corporate ladder. In 1987, he joined a renowned multinational pharmaceutical company and rose to various positions including the regional management for marketing in Asia based in Singapore. In 1991, he eventually got his first country management assignment in the Philippines and later appointed to start a company in Indonesia. Tolentino joined Pharmalink in 2000 to start the company’s operations in Indonesia. After his remarkable stint as Pharmalink Indonesia’s country manager, Tolentino moved back to the Philippines, again with the task of building the company in the country.

"Pharmalink’s aim to be the leading healthcare and pharmaceutical commercial enterprise by maintaining itself as the partner of choice by researched based multinational companies here in the Philippines as well as the entire Asia Pacific region," said Tolentino.

His vast experience in the healthcare business has truly equipped Tolentino with the knowledge and expertise that helped him build the Philippine operation. He also lives by four principles that guide him not only in managing Pharmalink, but in his professional life as a whole. These are "people, parameters and tools, partnership and the passion to perform".

"In any organization, the people are the greatest asset," said Tolentino. You may have the best product but without the right people to promote, it will end up to nothing. "The kind of people you have will define the quality of the organization you are in and the quality of services you deliver to our principals." Setting parameters and tools are also important to Tolentino. "We need to benchmark ourselves against the best in the industry, and these parameters will help us define effective systems and tools necessary to build a performing organization."

Likewise, Tolentino puts strong emphasis on partnership. "A partnership fueled by strong team spirit among members of the organization and with business partners make it easy to deliver expectations," related Tolentino. Solid partnership with medical community and trade are also essential.

Leading a company that operates in a competitive industry can be tough and challenging, especially when it comes to balancing work and personal life. But for Tolentino, one of the first lessons a leader must learn is how to give up. "You have to give up more time for yourself and for personal endeavors. The time I have now is spent either at work or with my family and serving God."