[Edaily Reporter KIM SAE-MI ] Seo Jeong-jin, Chairman of Celltrion Group, is forgoing his summer vacation to step up his global on-site management efforts aimed at expanding sales in the second half of the year.

Celltrion(068270)The company announced on the 5th that Chairman Seo will depart for Paris, France, on the 10th and visit all European countries in sequence, touring major overseas subsidiaries to personally review sales and revenue plans for approximately one month.

This business trip is not merely a tour of overseas subsidiaries; it is focused on enhancing global sales execution to achieve second-half revenue targets. Chairman Seo plans to personally verify regional market conditions, product-specific sales performance, tender and supply schedules, and plans to expand into new markets, while making swift decisions on challenges raised on-site.

In particular, he plans to closely examine the enhanced synergies and sales strategies between local subsidiaries following the acquisitions of French healthcare company Gifrer and Swiss pharmaceutical distributor iQone. He will also personally inspect pharmacy distribution networks across Europe, with a strategy to simultaneously strengthen the competitiveness of key distribution channels—hospitals and pharmacies.

Celltrion is actively expanding its direct sales network to include pharmacies, in addition to its existing direct sales system focused on hospitals and the procurement market. Through this, the company aims to enhance its supply competitiveness in the European market and further strengthen its biosimilar sales base.

Chairman Seo plans to personally visit sales sites in major overseas cities currently experiencing a heatwave to encourage employees and listen to their concerns. The company intends to swiftly resolve any issues identified on-site to lay the groundwork for sales growth in the second half of the year.

This on-site management initiative is seen as a move to sustain the growth momentum that led to record-breaking first-half results.

Celltrion recorded consolidated revenue of 2.5387 trillion won and operating profit of 773.7 billion won in the first half of this year. These figures represent the company’s best-ever half-year results, up 40.8% and 97.4%, respectively, compared to the same period last year. Stable sales of existing product lines, growth in high-margin follow-on product lines, and the enhancement of the global direct sales system drove these results.

In particular, high-margin follow-on products, including “Remsima SC,” accounted for approximately 65% of total revenue. During this business trip, Chairman Seo plans to personally review sales strategies for follow-on products by region, measures to expand market share, and plans to expand into new markets, with the aim of sustaining growth across the entire product portfolio.

In the second half of this year, large-scale tender volumes from major European countries are expected to be fully reflected, and demand from medical institutions to secure drug inventories is projected to increase toward year-end. Celltrion plans to refine its sales strategies to account for seasonal demand and competitive environments in each country, while simultaneously managing supply and sales execution to sustain the growth momentum seen in the first half.

Since announcing its plan to establish a direct overseas sales system in 2019, Celltrion has been expanding its direct sales network centered on local subsidiaries across the globe. By building a sales infrastructure that enables direct communication with healthcare professionals, hospitals, and pharmacies—as well as insurance companies and public procurement agencies—the company is implementing sales strategies tailored to the healthcare environment of each country.

The company views the significance of this on-site management initiative as directly linking market intelligence gathered through its global direct sales network to the decision-making of top management. Celltrion plans to rapidly incorporate local market changes and competitive conditions into its sales strategies, thereby accelerating the execution of regional business plans and further strengthening its global direct sales competitiveness.

A Celltrion official stated, “Chairman Seo has canceled his vacation and will personally tour global locations, including Europe, the U.S., and Canada, to personally lead efforts to expand sales in the second half of the year.” The official added, “We will focus the company’s full capabilities on maintaining robust growth in the second half by communicating directly with local employees and swiftly advancing country-specific initiatives, such as expanding the direct sales network to pharmacies.”