When Gabriela Baez visited Takeda’s Innovation Capability Center in Bratislava, Slovakia, she knew she’d made the right decision joining the company.
Baez heads Takeda’s Mexico ICC, a counterpart to the one in Bratislava. In her trip to Slovakia, she gained deep insight into what her team would be developing in Mexico City.
“Meeting so many colleagues from different backgrounds and countries that form a great global community driving digital transformation across the company made me very excited to see all that can be achieved at Takeda,” she told Built In.
Throughout Baez’s interview and onboarding process, Takeda’s global team provided close support and helped her understand how the company worked toward shared outcomes across international borders.
“Colleagues from Europe and the United States told me about their extraordinary experience being part of Takeda and working toward our goal to provide better health for a brighter future,” she said.
With over 20 years of experience working in the United States, United Kingdom and across Latin America, Baez brings to Takeda her expertise in leading enterprise agile transformation, implementing data and advanced analytics capabilities, conducting innovation pilots with emerging tech and launching digital products across industries. Her extensive knowledge across business units give Baez a unique perspective that will empower her to lead a motivated and ambitious team at Takeda’s Mexico ICC.
Baez shared more about her experience joining Takeda, her hopes for the future of Mexico’s Innovation Capability Center and the many possibilities offered by joining Takeda’s growing team.
What was the onboarding process like for you?
My onboarding experience allowed me to get a good perspective of the area I would be joining, my colleagues and overall vision of the company. First, I had the opportunity to attend one of the webinars organized by the Innovation Capability Center on emerging tech, where I was able to meet the people who work at Takeda and understand their view on topics that are of interest to me and aligned with my experience. Other sessions, such as office hours, were an important opportunity to learn more about the ICC concept and its relevance in Takeda’s global strategy — and to ask questions live. I appreciated the combination of human interaction and leveraging digital tools, such as webinars and video conferencing, to connect with a wide network.
What pleasantly surprised you after you joined?
I was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome I received from my colleagues. Very early in my onboarding process, during one of COO Rebecca Kaufmann's visits to Mexico, we planned ahead so that she could introduce me to other visiting colleagues and continue to learn firsthand about the company’s strategy
I also enjoyed traveling to Bratislava to experience the first ICC launched within our global network. Apart from touring the amazing ICC Bratislava facilities, I attended working sessions with colleagues from Zurich. Everybody was very open and supportive — answering questions, offering lessons learned and sharing excitement to grow our network and build Mexico ICC together.
How have you hit the ground running since you joined, and what are you most excited to accomplish next?
Because of my role, I have two main working groups. The first is the global working group, with which I coordinate the plans for the development of the “Workforce of the Future” program and the development of the ICC international network, as well as our product and platform colleagues. Additionally, I interact with our local team both at the ICC and across Takeda Mexico. I will continue to collaborate at both levels to develop ICC Mexico, leveraging the great experience and knowledge that my peers bring.
What I am most excited to achieve during the next quarter is to attract a large pool of local digital talent for ICC Mexico.
“I am most excited to attract a large pool of local digital talent for ICC Mexico.”
This is a great opportunity for more professionals to join our growing network, contribute to shaping a very special project, create a sense of community and support each other to continue growing in their careers. In addition, I would like to continue strengthening ties with partners as we work on open innovation initiatives.
What aspect of your professional growth are you most excited to evolve?
Leading the creation of ICC Mexico from a very early stage, and contributing to the growth of over 250 professionals. I am also excited about strengthening our ties with the ecosystem in Mexico, where we can collaborate in innovative projects that can have a positive impact on our colleagues, patients’ experiences and the planet.
