What the Afrika Kommt! Fellowship Program means to Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim has remained committed to this program over the years; we interviewed several employees who shared their perspectives of the program.

What does Afrika Kommt! mean to Boehringer Ingelheim? This was our first question to Sabine Emmerich from the Making More Health initiative and a company representative of the Afrika Kommt! Program. “The program builds bridges between Africa and Germany. It provides an excellent opportunity for participating companies to gain unique access to young talents from countries across Africa. Boehringer Ingelheim was one of its founding members. Our company began by hosting one fellow in 2008 and has increased the numbers over the years. We currently have seven fellows in different corporate functions and alumni who have joined the company over the last years, both in the corporate headquarters as well as the countries," Sabine describes.

Finding the sweet spot

Makiko Schlegel, whose focus is on Diversity & Inclusion, is not surprised by Tonye’s contribution. Her team has hosted fellows from Ghana, Zimbabwe and Kenya for three consecutive years. She has also interacted with fellows in other functions. “They bring flexibility and openness. We Germans are very structured and process-oriented. We like to have a good overview of things. When things do not go as planned, I have found the fellows to be agile and quick to find a solution. They do not focus too much on what isn’t working. They try different options, it is not always perfect, but there is that sense of agility in finding a solution”.

In addition to technical expertise, Makiko has also found it as an opportunity for teams hosting fellows to learn more about cultures that they usually do not have easy access to.

Dr. Barbara Esch from the Biopharmaceuticals Business Unit echoes Makiko’s sentiments. Hosting a fellow for the first time in 2019, it has been quite a great experience for her and her team. “The world is a global village and it is important to become familiar with other cultures. The team has learnt a lot about the continent, especially Ghana, since Joanna Amoah is from there. Joanna is easy to work with, she is a team player and well experienced," she remarks.

More Potential 

Barbara believes that there is a lot to learn from Sub-Saharan Africa that can be leveraged by Boehringer Ingelheim. "The continent is growing; there is a young generation that is motivated to develop the continent. There is a lot of potential. We always think Africa to be poor. There are educated and experienced professionals on the continent. They have a lot to offer," she states.

One of Boehringer Ingelheim’s regions is Middle East, Turkey and Africa. Part of the company’s strategy is to strengthen its presence in Africa, thus increasing the number of patients that can benefit from our therapies. Considering this strategy, it makes business sense for Javier Castro, Regional Business Manager from Emerging Markets, Human Pharma to identify and develop talents from that region through Afrika Kommt!.

Javier is hosting Cecilia Maina from Kenya. “In Human Pharma Emerging Markets, our focus is driving the implementation of the strategies defined by the therapeutic areas. We define the right strategy for our markets based on the regions’ or countries’ characteristics, thus having someone who knows a region like Africa, and has business acumen is a good fit for our department.” Javier explains. He has found that candidates from Afrika Kommt!, like Cecilia are able to compete with candidates from other regions in the world, their Africa knowledge is a plus, however it is their level of education and experience that makes them valuable to the team.   The fellows find value too. Working in corporate provides them with a strategic view of the world, the experience of seeing how the world is connected and how other regions are facing similar challenges and turning them into opportunities.

Knowledge exchange

“The Afrika Kommt! Fellow at Making More Health adds an inspiring and enriching new perspective to our work”, Sabine stresses. “By adding cultural, societal and business insights, the fellow provides us with better understanding of the relevant healthcare needs of African communities. Over the time, our Africa kommt! fellows also develop their own ideas and initiatives within the Making More Health program that accelerate better healthcare across Sub-Saharan countries. In this process, the fellows gain a global perspective. It is a co-creation approach and a huge success for all involved”, Sabine Emmerich adds to Javier’s observations.

About Afrika Kommt!

Since inception in 2008, Afrika Kommt! has upskilled over 156 young professionals from Sub-Saharan Africa. 47 are currently working in 11 companies in Germany. The fellows have several years of professional experience, working in their home countries. Different departments at Boehringer Ingelheim headquarters are hosting seven of these fellows for a period of eight months. Find out more about the program here.