New General Director of Takeda Vietnam: I like the Vietnamese bamboo symbol

Takeda - Photo 1.

Mr. Benjamin Ping was appointed as General Director of Takeda Pharmaceutical Vietnam Co., Ltd.

As Vietnam continues to grow rapidly, Mr. Benjamin is committed to supporting the Government’s efforts to improve the quality of healthcare services and meet the healthcare needs of the people by bringing Takeda’s advanced medicines and vaccines to the Vietnamese market.

With a leadership mindset focused on innovation and enhanced collaboration, Mr. Benjamin is expected to further promote Takeda's positive contributions to the Vietnamese healthcare industry.

Takeda Vietnam believes that Mr. Benjamin's dedication and experience will contribute to significant improvements in the healthcare journey for Vietnamese people.

Vietnamese bamboo has the qualities that Takeda aims for

* Welcome Mr. Benjamin Ping to Vietnam as the new General Director. Could you share your first impressions of our country, as well as what motivated you to decide to join Takeda Vietnam?

Mr. Benjamin Ping: I have visited Vietnam many times and am very impressed with the people, culture and cuisine here.

As a Singaporean who has been working overseas for the past three years and is now back in Southeast Asia, I feel like I have come home. From a professional perspective, I am truly impressed by Vietnam’s remarkable economic development.

I look forward to contributing to this growth, bringing Takeda’s innovative therapies and vaccines closer to the people of Vietnam. As I learned more about Vietnamese culture, the image of bamboo left a deep impression on me.

The bamboo tree - a symbol of resilience, strength and adaptability - is the very quality that Takeda strives for. The bamboo tree, with its strong roots representing the company's core values, its trunk representing the pillar role of Takeda employees, and its bendable branches symbolizing the company's flexible strategies.

I would like to use this metaphor to help you visualize my vision when leading Takeda Vietnam: taking the company's mission and core values as the foundation while still flexibly adapting to meet the changing healthcare needs of the people.

Takeda - Photo 2.

Mr. Benjamin Ping shared his impression of the bamboo tree - a symbol of resilience and strength.

* Can you share more about Takeda's corporate philosophy?

Mr. Benjamin Ping: Takeda builds a solid corporate foundation to deliver long-term value with a philosophy passed down through generations.

Our group was founded in 1781, starting with the trading of traditional Japanese and Chinese medicines in Japan, following the principle of "SANPO-YOSHI" (beneficial to seller, buyer and society). This principle has been preserved and developed by generations of Takeda leaders for over 240 years.

Today, Takeda's corporate philosophy clearly articulates why we exist (Takeda's purpose), where we are going (Takeda's vision), and how we can realize our vision (core values).

The three pillars of "Patient, People and Planet" are the guiding principles and investment directions of Takeda to realize the purpose of the enterprise.

More importantly, we understand that Takeda cannot go on this journey alone but needs to cooperate with partners in Vietnam to realize the goals, continue to maintain the "SANPO-YOSHI" principle, bring value to Vietnam, the people and Takeda.

* How does Takeda's global corporate philosophy guide the company's commitment to patients and how is this philosophy implemented in Vietnam?

Mr. Benjamin Ping: Takeda's global philosophy is focused on delivering on our commitment to bringing innovative therapies to patients. We prioritize patient-centered innovation, ensuring that our drug and vaccine development processes meet the real needs of patients.

In Vietnam, we apply this philosophy to address domestic healthcare challenges, increasing access to cutting-edge therapies in the areas of rare diseases, oncology, neurology, plasma therapies and vaccines.

For example, the deployment of the dengue vaccine demonstrates our commitment to addressing vector-borne diseases, which are on the rise due to the impacts of climate change.

Takeda also focuses on ensuring patients have access to medical services, medicines and vaccines, through applying a tiered pricing policy, based on the level of economic development and health system of each country.

Pioneering the application of digital technology to improve treatment outcomes

* Takeda places a strong emphasis on people in its corporate philosophy. How does this translate into its employee development and diversity strategies in Vietnam?

Mr. Benjamin Ping: Takeda believes that people are our most valuable asset. Our philosophy reflects our commitment to building a culture of lifelong learning, diversity, equity and inclusion.

Every day, Takeda employees work according to core values, based on "Takeda-ism" - including: Integrity, Fairness, Honesty, and Perseverance, with Integrity at the heart.

We operate on the principle of priority "Patient - Trust - Reputation - Business". For me, the order of this principle is very important, it really reflects how we make decisions at Takeda.

This is something I take pride in and remind my team of regularly. Every employee, regardless of position, is responsible for adhering to the highest ethical standards, because our actions affect the most important issue for people - their health.

Takeda - Photo 3.

The Takeda team works according to core values, based on "Takeda-ism" - including: Integrity, Fairness, Honesty, and Perseverance, in which Integrity is the focus.

* “Planet” is also an important pillar in Takeda’s philosophy. Can you share about the company’s sustainability goals and how these goals are implemented in Vietnam?

Mr. Benjamin Ping: Takeda's commitment to environmental sustainability is demonstrated through ambitious goals: achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across Takeda's operations by 2035 and across the entire value chain by 2040.

Takeda integrates environmental factors into product development and operations through initiatives such as the "Sustainability by Design" program.

Takeda, for example, is committed to expanding its Plasma Therapy (PDT) business while minimizing its environmental impact. Notable achievements include the opening of a greenhouse gas-free BioLife plasma donation center in Linz, Austria, and significant reductions in emissions, water consumption, and energy use at BioLife centers in the United States.

In Vietnam, we are aligning domestic strategies with global goals, by assessing options to reduce environmental impacts across the entire value chain.

The deployment of the dengue vaccine is a testament to Takeda's efforts to address health issues related to climate change.

By collaborating with the Government of Vietnam and local partners, Takeda aims to contribute to national solutions to enhance climate change adaptation and resilience and environmental sustainability.

Takeda's offices in Vietnam are also carefully selected to meet LEED (Green Building) and WELL (Occupant Health and Well-Being) standards.

* We have heard a lot about Takeda's "digital capabilities". Can you explain more about this concept, as well as how Takeda leverages data and digital technology to improve operational efficiency and patient engagement globally, especially in Vietnam?

Mr. Benjamin Ping: Takeda is a pioneer in applying data and digital technology to promote innovation and improve treatment outcomes for patients.

Our global digital transformation initiatives include virtual clinical trials, AI-powered drug development, and digital patient support programs. These efforts aim to increase access to and diversity in clinical research while optimizing our operations.

In Vietnam, we are applying these technologies to enhance patient engagement and support. For example, we are researching and implementing digital tools to provide personalized education and support materials to patients, helping them manage their health more effectively.

By leveraging technology, we aim to create an easy, user-friendly experience for patients and healthcare facilities, thereby improving treatment outcomes in Vietnam and the region.

In addition, we are researching digital tools to support employees to work more effectively, focus on value-added tasks, and better serve patients.

Content provided by Takeda Pharmaceutical Vietnam Co., Ltd., C-ANPROM/VN/NON/0011/ Mar 2025