Malgorzata Rokicka is a Category Manager based at our Perrigo Poland location! She joined Perrigo in 2018 and below she delves deep into what life is like working within the Marketing function! Find out what is important to Malgorzata and what she believes future employees can expect when they join Perrigo!
Can you tell me a little bit about the Marketing Function at Perrigo Poland? After spending 6 years in the cosmetics industry I was looking for new challenges and new markets to explore. Perrigo’s values, culture and development opportunities fit my needs perfectly, that’s why I joined Perrigo in 2018 and have enjoyed working here for almost 3 years. I hold the position of Category Manager in the Marketing department, responsible for power brands such as Iwostin, Lactacyd and Undofen. Our marketing team consists of 10 inspiring marketers and it is my great honour to lead 2 of them.
Does Perrigo Poland differ from your previous experience? If so, then how? The organisation itself is our strongest asset: a small-scaled, but very determined group of people with an authentic entrepreneurial spirit and strong ambitions, short lines of communication and fast decision making. We use each and every benefit from the scale and the knowledge of the American mother company, but operate entirely autonomously at a local level. It enables us to respond adequately to market opportunities every time and take the right steps to bring categories and products to a higher level.
What is a typical workday like as part of the Marketing team? Every day we try to understand our consumer’s needs and make their lives better. We are managing and coordinating many interesting projects such as NPD (new product development), brand & media strategy, brand communication, data analysis, market research works in collaboration with the Global Category team. On top of this we are still looking for new products, trends, solutions, tools, research; therefore Marketing is a huge learning curve and will never be dull.
How would you describe your team's culture? Our Marketing team is my biggest motivation. It is a group of expert, creative, and very ambitious people that prove everyday that “impossible” does not exist. We are helping each other, resolving problems, inspiring, motivating, but also laughing together, integrating, drinking coffee, celebrating occasions and successes! We create a culture full of respect, open communication, and celebrate our team’s differences.
Tell me about the other teams that this function works closely with on a daily basis? Effective cross functional collaboration allows our organisation to draw on each other's strengths and grow the business together quickly and efficiently. We are working closely in cross functional teams challenging the status quo and looking for synergy in all activities, best practises, better solutions, process optimisations and new, extraordinary ideas. We are one team, with one vision and a clear business trajectory.
How would you describe the leadership style within the Marketing function? In Perrigo we believe that courage of leadership is giving others the chance to succeed even though there is a risk of failure. We can learn the lesson from it for actions taken in future. Building trust and promoting an open environment for two-way feedback are the most important aspects of leadership for me. Everyday I give my best to support, motivate, and inspire action that will help my team to execute their goals and leverage their strengths. My personal goal is to inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more. I try to be a leader that I would like to follow.
What has been your biggest work-related highlight ? I can certainly point out that a standout moment was to be marketing lead of very important and complex project as a self-care acquisition in Eastern Europe. Perrigo acquired three Eastern European OTC skincare and hair loss treatment brands (Emolium®, Iwostin® and Loxon®) from Sanofi in 2020. The addition of these market-leading OTC brands serves as another step for Perrigo’s CSCI growth plans, expands our already robust skincare franchise, and adds scale to our Eastern European business.
What can a perspective employee expect when joining the Marketing function? New employees can expect that the role comes with great responsibilities and challenges, requiring a high degree of ownership. Category Managers take on important and strategic role with significant impact on Perrigo’s business and results. Besides that there are multiple options for personal development and growth opportunities both locally and globally, all depending on the ambitions and performance of the employee. Perrigo takes care of new employees from the first day with full onboarding process, so new team members can feel comfortable and enjoy their initial stages.
What does someone need to be successful within your function, in your opinion? Undoubtedly significant experience in product and team management, knowledge of competitors, market trends, expertise in media and consumers insights are necessary for this position. While I believe personality traits and individual skills such as strong communication, presentation, analytical and networking are key factors to be successful Category Manager. Finally we can’t put aside the passion for marketing, as Steve Jobs said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
What is your overall favourite part of the Marketing function? People, self-motivated, proactive team players with “can do” attitude and the culture, which they have created is my favourite part about being in Perrigo. It is a pleasure to work in a friendly environment with so many experts and inspiring people. I am also very pleased to be part of Perrigo’s aim in making people’s lives better by bringing high quality and affordable self-care products.
We are always looking for passionate, dedicated people to join our teams at Perrigo. Take your next career step today and check out our live vacancies !