Mihael Furjan
Episode · #134
RITAM POSLA Mihael Furjan
Guest Mihael FurjanHosted by Lidija KiseljakMay 3, 2026
Mihael Furjan
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation
Mihael Furjan runs Pliva, a name synonymous with Croatian pharmaceutical innovation for decades. But while its parent company, Teva, wrestled with a global restructuring that cut billions in costs and thousands of jobs, Pliva in Croatia did something unexpected: it grew. This conversation with Furjan reveals how a local entity not only weathered a global storm but found new avenues for expansion, particularly in surprising areas like technology and shared services. You'll hear how a company known for drug discovery became a top IT employer, and what it means to lead a local team that defies global trends.
Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Pliva reported record 2019 revenues of 4.8 billion kuna and nearly 1 billion kuna in profit, with growth partly from commercializing its own R&D projects within the Teva group. The highest-value transactions don't always happen on the open market; internal patent sales and development transfers can drive significant profit in large corporations.
02
While its global parent Teva underwent a massive restructuring, cutting three billion dollars in costs and reducing global headcount, Pliva in Croatia increased its number of employees. A local unit can strategically position itself to grow, even when its global parent is shrinking, by proving indispensable value.
03
Pliva employs close to 170 IT specialists, most of whom work for other entities within the global Teva group, making it one of Croatia's top IT employers. A company's core identity might mask its true operational footprint; a pharmaceutical giant can quietly become a major tech employer.
04
Finding good IT talent is Pliva's biggest hiring challenge, contrasting with the ease of recruiting new graduates in traditional fields like chemistry and pharmacy. The talent market redefines industry roles: even in an established sector like pharmaceuticals, the hardest-to-fill positions are often in supporting functions, not the core.
05
Croatia, through Pliva, ranks as the fourth largest country by employee count within the global Teva group, after the US, Israel, and Germany. A national subsidiary can wield outsized strategic importance within a multinational, becoming a critical operational hub rather than just a local market presence.
06
Teva, the world's largest generic drug company, generates 30 to 40 percent of its revenue from innovative, patented medicines. Market dominance in one category doesn't preclude significant play in another; a company can lead a high-volume, low-margin business while simultaneously investing in high-margin innovation.
07
Pliva consistently invests a substantial portion of its revenue — between six and twelve percent annually — back into research and development. Sustained, high R&D commitment is a strategic choice, not just a cost, allowing a company to continuously replenish its product pipeline even within a competitive generics market.