Dream Samir is the Managing Director of Merck Serono Middle East, a subsidiary of the multinational pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA, Germany. He is responsible for 12 countries throughout the Middle and Near East regions. In his role, Mr. Samir has successfully led his team to achieve faster-than-market growth. He has also helped the company secure a place in the UAE’s Top Ten Companies to Work for two years in a row. With a BSc degree in Pharmacy from the University of Cairo and a career that spans over 20 years with several multinational companies in the pharmaceutical industry, Mr. Samir shares highlights of his work with our Bayt.com community.
Life in the UAE has been a positive experience for me. As any expatriate, my priority is for family convenience. My family finds here all the elements needed for a stable, safe and comfortable life. The education level is excellent, and children development and leisure programs are abundant. The cultural diversity offered here brings an added value to my children and further expands their personalities and social capabilities. On a personal level, the country is also safe and easily connected to the rest of the world, offering easy access to my home country and any other place in the world.
I work nine hours a day, which often go beyond that. I love what I do and work for. At Merck Serono, we strive to go the extra mile because we are proud of the company and the value that we deliver.
At Merck Serono we hire for attitudes and work to develop skills. This is our mantra. We look for employees who share with us our focus on values and work ethics, in addition to the ability to tolerate and deal with different cultures, as our team comes from 17 different countries who all work together in one office.
Our recruitment process is robust and unbiased. The biggest challenge lies in achieving diversity. As a great place to work in, we attract talents based on the values we stand for.
The competition is fierce in the pharmaceutical industry. My advice to people interested to start their career in this field is to be open to changes and innovation, to be ready for challenges in both strategy and results, and to have an extreme focus on work ethics.
I started my career as a medical representative many years ago and worked across various departments. I worked hard to climb the ladder of positions and responsibilities until I made my way as the general manager of the company. Each job position had its own flavor and attractiveness. My advice would be to enjoy what you do and get the best out the job that you do now, and learn every day, as anything you learn during the day is highlight to be proud of.
For me, industry insights are very important. There are various reports that touch on this such as BMI, The Economist, etc. Macroeconomics and geopolitical studies are of particular importance in our region nowadays, so I follow a number of specialized intelligence reports. Research in leadership development (HR included) is also something I keep an eye on, as well as relevant books and articles such as Harvard and Stanford university publications.
The Middle East has evolved significantly in the HR field. Measures have been taken to ensure that HR operations are more efficient and effective than ever before. Clear standards and processes are being used. As a result, employees know their rights and what is expected for them. In fact, HR has turned from being the art of an employee-friendly environment to a science of employee engagement, analysis and action plans to ensure adaptability to change worldwide.
The old concept holds true and is applicable more and more each day: a company isn''t about the offices or walls, nor is it about processes, or even products; a company is a group of people who make promises to each other, and to customers. A company is healthy as long as these promises are transparent and fair. When the market grows fast (similar to our case), when the talent war intensifies, or when the company itself is growing, employee engagement becomes pivotal to sustain today’s growth and secure tomorrow’s growth. A great place to work is an additional benefit that has helped Merck Serono measure its success and attract great talent.
