After international tenures in Korea and at Servier’s global headquarters in Paris, Matthieu Mendil has taken the helm of Servier Brazil at a pivotal moment in the affiliate’s evolution. Drawing on a global perspective shaped by strategy and operational leadership, he is guiding Servier Brazil to balance its strong cardiometabolic heritage with an expanding focus on oncology and innovation. In this interview, Mendil discusses access to medicines, R&D, partnerships, talent development, and the distinctive nature of being governed by a foundation, purpose-driven model that places patients and people at its core.
What lessons from your international experience in Korea and at Servier’s global headquarters in Paris are shaping your approach in Brazil?
The most valuable lesson I have taken from my international experience is that everything begins with people. Whether in Korea, Paris, or now in Brazil, success ultimately depends on the talent and commitment of our teams. As General Manager, I see my primary responsibility as empowering those who make our mission possible, ensuring that people remain at the centre of every decision.
Equally important is the partnership between local affiliates and global headquarters. No affiliate can progress alone; true success comes from alignment and collaboration across the organisation. Finally, my background in corporate strategy taught me to balance hands-on leadership with a long-term perspective. In Brazil, this means being hands-on (mão na massa, in Portuguese), involved in day-to-day operations, while keeping a clear vision of where we want to be in five or ten years. Every short-term action must serve a long-term purpose, shaping the foundations for future growth.
How is Servier working to expand access to innovative therapies and ensure that more patients in Brazil can benefit from them?
When we talk about access, we have two perspectives: the first is to bring to Brazil the most modern and effective medicines and make them available in the local market. We want Brazilian patients to have access to the most advanced innovations in Oncology, as well as to the most effective treatments for cardiometabolism and chronic venous diseases.
In Oncology, we are investing in targeted therapies to treat rare diseases and address the needs of patients who are still underserved. Today in Brazil, we offer medicines for various types of cancers and haematological conditions, as leukaemia, gastrointestinal cancers and brain cancer. In cardiometabolism, we invest in single-pill combinations to increase engagement and adherence among patients living with chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, and varicose veins. We also offer our patients a well-recognised support program that combines digital tools and remote assistance to help them stay adherent to treatment.
The second perspective of access is ensuring that patients can buy—or receive through the healthcare system—the best medicine indicated for their condition. From this point of view, access remains one of Brazil’s greatest healthcare challenges. That’s because many innovative medicines still reach only the private sector, which covers roughly a quarter of the population, while the majority of patients in the public system remain excluded. At Servier, we are addressing this through both individual and collective action, working within our affiliate and through industry associations to design more effective and sustainable access pathways.
We are exploring performance-based contracts, where reimbursement is linked to clinical outcomes. For instance, an oncology treatment could be paid for only once it delivers the survival benefit demonstrated in trials. Beyond pricing mechanisms, improving access also requires alignment among government institutions, payers, patient organisations, and the pharmaceutical industry. Outdated and costly therapies still consume significant public resources that could be redirected toward new treatments without expanding healthcare budgets. Ultimately, innovation should be seen not as a financial burden but as a long-term investment, one that enhances public health, sustains productivity, and supports Brazil’s broader development.
What have been your top priorities during your first months leading Servier Brazil to build a foundation for long-term success?
I am joining Servier Brazil at an important moment, as the company is about to celebrate 50 years of operation in the country. Brazil plays a very important role within the Servier Group. All our individual and business goals are directly aligned with the strategic priorities set in our global plan for the next 5 years. These priorities guide our long-term vision and define what we aim to achieve as an organization: we strive to be an innovative and patient-driven company with a rich pipeline; a resilient, growing and highly profitable company, balanced on three key pillars — oncology, neurology, cardiometabolism and venous disease, and generics; a company with a measurable positive social impact; and an attractive company with proud and passionate employees.
As general manager, my foremost priority has been to bring everyone within Servier Brazil together around a clear and shared vision of who we are and where we want to go, in line with our global goals as a Group. Alignment is fundamental; before setting new ambitions, we must ensure that every team member understands our collective direction and feels genuinely part of it. Together with my leadership team, I am working to articulate this vision, which we plan to share across the organisation in early 2026. As I often emphasise, nothing truly meaningful can be achieved without people. When teams are united by a common purpose, they gain the clarity and motivation to move forward decisively. This shared commitment will form the backbone of everything we do in the years ahead. Once that foundation is in place, the next step is to prioritise, to focus our energy and resources on the initiatives that will create the most sustainable value for patients, our people, and the broader healthcare community in Brazil.
How is Servier balancing its strong cardiometabolic heritage with a growing focus on oncology and breakthrough innovation?
Servier’s evolution is not about shifting away from its cardiometabolic legacy but about building two complementary pillars that will define our future. The first remains cardiometabolic and venous diseases (CMVD), an area where we hold one of the strongest portfolios in the market. Our focus, however, extends far beyond products; it lies in strengthening education, communication, and adherence, three elements essential to achieving lasting therapeutic control. We work closely with physicians to encourage stronger engagement with patients and to ensure they understand the importance of continuing their treatment. In this field, the main challenge is not the lack of therapies but the lack of sustained adherence, and we see it as our duty to help close that gap through continuous education and support.
To address this challenge, we launched the “AS ONE”, Servier’s global strategy that aims to work in partnership with patients and doctors to raise awareness and change their lifestyle, achieving improved treatment adherence and health outcomes. “AS One” is based on a tripod that unites an efficient portfolio of medicines, tools to support treatment adherence and medical education. In practice, we offer a portfolio of cardiovascular and metabolic products based on single-pill combinations, which also helps the chronic patient to remain adherent to treatment. We develop patient support tools that go beyond the prescription, with information, reminders and digital support. And also work together with doctors to encourage an approach to the patient as a whole, considering not only other comorbidities, but also social context and lifestyle habits. To this end, we offer our medical education program, CARE. The second pillar is innovation, particularly in oncology. As an independent international pharmaceutical company governed by a non-profit foundation, we have a patient-centric long-term vision. This independence allows us to invest with a long-term perspective and to focus on areas of greatest unmet need. Today, nearly 70% of Servier’s global R&D investment is directed toward oncology, with an emphasis on rare and hard-to-treat cancers. Together, these pillars define our purpose: to advance patient care across both chronic and life-threatening diseases, reinvesting every success into the next generation of medical progress.
What do Servier’s recent oncology approvals and launches represent for patients and for the affiliate’s broader ambitions in Brazil?
Servier now has one of the most robust oncology portfolios among mid-sized pharmaceutical companies, with five therapies addressing complex and often rare cancers. Our entry into oncology began with the acquisition of Shire’s oncology business, with a treatment for paediatric cancer, a truly transformative therapy that has saved countless young lives. We later introduced for colorectal and gastric cancers, which remain an important part of our presence in Brazil.
This year has been particularly significant with the approval of three new therapies intended for solid tumours and haematological conditions; the first major therapeutic advance for brain cancer in more than two decades was launched. These approvals reaffirm our commitment to advancing truly innovative therapies for patients facing life-threatening conditions.
Although these medicines have received regulatory approval, they are not manufactured in Brazil yet. To bridge this gap, we are already importing them. The next step is securing their inclusion in the ANS Rol, the list of therapies reimbursed by private health insurers under the Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar (ANS), followed by their incorporation into the public healthcare system (SUS). As a pharmaceutical company governed by a non-profit foundation, we measure success not solely by profit, but mainly by patient impact. Ensuring that these innovations reach those who need them most is not only a strategic priority for us, but it is a reflection of our purpose and values as Servier.
Partnerships are becoming increasingly vital to expanding access and driving innovation. How is Servier approaching collaboration in Brazil?
Partnerships are indeed central to our approach, though I would highlight an example from our CMVD portfolio rather than oncology. Innovation in CMVD may be incremental rather than disruptive, but its impact on patients can be profound. We are advancing single-pill combinations, which integrate two or three active pharmaceutical ingredients into a single tablet. This simplifies treatment, enhances adherence, and improves disease control, an essential factor for chronic conditions such as hypertension.
To strengthen the evidence base, we are collaborating with the Ministry of Health and several leading research centres to conduct local studies demonstrating the real-world value of these therapies. By showing that such innovations can improve control and adherence, we aim to support a shift in medical practice toward simpler, more effective approaches to managing hypertension and related comorbidities.
This focus is embedded in our broader strategic framework, “As One by Servier,” which rests on three pillars. The first is our portfolio, ensuring we deliver high-quality, effective medicines. The second is the patient, supported through education and engagement initiatives such as Sempre Cuidando (“Always Caring”), a digital platform providing educational content and lifestyle guidance to promote adherence. We have also partnered with a digital health application (Elfie) that uses gamification to motivate patients: they record blood pressure readings and medication intake and are rewarded for consistency. The third pillar centres on physicians, fostering continuous education and dialogue to reinforce the importance of long-term adherence.
Through these partnerships and initiatives, we are moving beyond the pill to create a more holistic and collaborative model of care, one that empowers patients, supports healthcare professionals, and strengthens chronic disease management in Brazil.
How are you nurturing local talent and leadership while fostering a more agile and innovation-driven culture at Servier Brazil?
People are at the centre of Servier’s transformation, and we are fully committed to supporting their growth as we evolve. What we are building in Brazil is not a shift away from our CMVD base but the creation of a new oncology pillar within it. Managing an oncology portfolio requires a distinct set of skills and mindsets compared with chronic diseases, and our role as leaders is to help bridge that gap by continuously developing our teams’ capabilities.
One of our greatest strengths is that around 90% of leadership positions in Servier Brazil are filled internally, reflecting both the quality and the potential of our people. To sustain this, we have implemented a comprehensive Talent Development Programme tailored to each function – medical, commercial, and operational – which accompanies employees throughout their professional journey. The programme focuses equally on technical expertise, leadership, and personal growth, ensuring that development remains balanced and purposeful.
We often describe growth as a combination of knowledge, skills, and behaviour. Knowledge and skills can be taught, but behaviour – how we collaborate, lead, and engage – is what truly defines lasting success. That is why we place strong emphasis on cultivating the right behaviours. Every year, we dedicate an entire week to training and development, offering coaching sessions and workshops led by internal leaders and professional coaches. This initiative, open to all employees, reflects our conviction that investing in people is not just a responsibility but a driver of long-term innovation and excellence.
What concrete steps are being taken locally to support Servier’s global sustainability commitments and carbon-reduction goals?
Sustainability has become a true measure of performance. We have reached a point where companies that are not sustainable, or cannot demonstrate it, will struggle to remain competitive. This understanding has shaped a new mindset at Servier Brazil: sustainability is not a constraint, but a key driver of progress and responsibility.
At the industrial level, we have already taken tangible steps to help reduce CO2 emissions. Our first major step was joining the free energy market and ensuring that 100% of the electricity used at our manufacturing site comes from renewable sources, such as solar and wind power. Operationally, our efforts have centred on mobility. Since electric vehicles are not yet widely adopted in Brazil, where ethanol remains the most viable alternative fuel, we launched an internal initiative encouraging employees to transition to ethanol-powered cars. Today, our fleet of approximately 340 vehicles is already over 80% ethanol-fuelled, and we aim to reach near full conversion within the coming year.
These actions align with Servier’s broader commitment to sustainability, caring for patients, supporting our people, and protecting the planet. For us, these priorities are inseparable, forming the foundation of a more resilient and forward-looking Servier.
How does Servier’s independence as a group governed by a foundation distinguish it within the pharmaceutical industry, and in what ways does this model influence your leadership approach in Brazil?
What truly sets Servier apart is its being a group governed by a non-profit foundation, a model that frees us from shareholder pressure and allows us to think in decades rather than quarters. This independence gives us the time and perspective to focus on what truly matters: creating long-term value for patients, our people, and the planet. It also fosters a very different mindset. When I meet with policymakers in Brasília, I always begin by explaining that we are not here simply to do business, but to serve patients and the Brazilian community. Without shareholders or personal financial incentives, our measure of success is impact, not short-term performance.
At the same time, independence brings responsibility. Without external investors to rely on, we must be financially autonomous, and that means being profitable to preserve our freedom. Profitability, for us, is not an end in itself but a means to reinvest in what matters most: research, innovation, manufacturing, new launches, and above all, our people. This creates a virtuous circle of reinvestment, where every achievement fuels the next.
From the outside, our model might appear liberating, but it also demands discipline. Freedom comes with accountability. We have the privilege of time and purpose, but also the obligation to deliver. Maintaining profitability ensures that Servier can remain independent and continue advancing its mission to innovate, to serve patients, and to create lasting value for society.
Looking ahead, how do you define success for Servier Brazil over the next few years, and what message would you like to share with peers and global readers?
Over the next three years, my vision of success is clear: when people in Brazil – patients, payers, or healthcare professionals – think of oncology or chronic diseases, I want them to think of Servier. While we already enjoy a positive reputation, our visibility remains limited, and strengthening that recognition by demonstrating our contribution to patient care and the healthcare ecosystem will be a key achievement.
At our core, we are an independent pharmaceutical company governed by a foundation, and that defines both our purpose and our pace. It allows us to focus entirely on innovation that matters, incremental innovation in CMVD to enhance adherence and address persistent needs, and breakthrough innovation in oncology to tackle complex, underserved conditions. Innovation for us is not about novelty; it is about impact. If I had to summarise Servier in a few words, it would be: a global pharmaceutical group governed by a nonprofit foundation that innovates for patients.
For those seeking to engage with Latin America, my advice is to step outside and connect. Go to Brasília, São Paulo, or Rio, meet stakeholders, talk to physicians, policymakers, and partners. Real understanding comes from dialogue and proximity. One day spent in the field, listening and learning, can be more valuable than a week behind a desk.
