A Heritage of Visionary Leadership: Victor Grifols

“My father and what he stood for should be a lesson to us. He died an old man but always lived as a young one. He demanded of himself before demanding of others. He made sacrifices himself before asking them of others. He believed that the right to live in the world entailed the duty to make the greatest effort to work for the world and for humanity.”

— Dr. Victor Grifols Lucas’ words at his father’s funeral, Dr. Jose Antonio Grifols Roig, co-founder of Grifols.

AS A GLOBAL corporation, Grifols has firmly established itself as a standard bearer within the plasma therapies industry. In fact, the name Grifols has become synonymous with safety and efficacy; the company has established patented manufacturing methods and protocols that exceed safety requirements in almost every area of the supply chain. At the helm of this inspirational organization, Victor Grifols is keenly aware of his personal and corporate responsibility as a standard bearer; the company was founded by his grandfather and three generations of the family have since led the company. Most notably, every vial of product produced displays not just his company’s name, but also his family’s legacy.

“My grandfather started this company in 1940 at the end of the Spanish Civil War and the beginning of World War II; these were difficult times, but it did not stop him from succeeding,” says Victor Grifols. “Because of his vision and leadership, I am able to sit here today and oversee a global organization with over 6,000 employees.The spirit my grandfather and later my uncle and my father put into the company is still being transmitted to our employees today.”

At Grifols, the company’s mission statement is both simple and profound: What matters most: people. And people include, in order of importance to the company: donors, patients, employees and shareholders. It is a philosophy that is interwoven throughout the company culture, impacting everything from the way products are manufactured, to the daily interactions between management and employees.

Promoting Relationship Leadership

Passionate about leading by example, Victor Grifols is as comfortable discussing day-to-day operations in the company lunch room as he is addressing a room full of shareholders. “I spend about 80 percent of my time with employees — many have been with the company for 30 years or more,” he says. “In our company, we know each other for many years, and our people are very loyal and knowledgeable. As a leader, I believe you should never ask your people to do something you won’t do yourself. For example, when addressing operating expenses, if you ask employees to fly coach, you fly coach as well. That’s part of leading by example.”

With headquarters in Barcelona, Spain, and a newly constructed twin manufacturing plant in Los Angeles, Calif., the Grifols group of companies sustains a full and active research and development program that has obtained more than 300 patents in over 30 countries for plasma derivatives alone, and some 200 official product registrations in more than 50 countries. Grifols serves healthcare professionals and patients in over 90 countries around the world.

A desire for excellence led Grifols to found its own engineering company that has custom-designed machines and facilities for both Grifols and other biopharmaceutical companies around the world. Additionally, Grifols’ plasma screening processes were one of the first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use nucleic acid testing (NAT) methods — a process that not only detects a whole virus, but will also detect non-infectious virus fragments. “Our FDA-approved manufacturing facilities are among the most modern in existence,” says Victor Grifols.

A History of Innovation

Grifols’ contributions to the plasma therapies industry are numerous, dating back to 1943 with the production of the first freeze-dried plasma in continental Europe, and to 1951 when Victor Grifols’ uncle, Dr. Jose A. Grifols Lucas, presented a landmark study that described a method for returning red blood cells to the donor, leading to the development of plasmapheresis, a technique now used worldwide. This process permits people to donate plasma more frequently, thereby making more plasma medicines available to patients who need them. Plasma medicines are used to treat a variety of rare and often life-threatening diseases. But scientific discoveries aside, it has been the consistent emphasis on product efficacy and safety that has made Grifols an industry leader.

“My grandfather and father were always obsessed with the safety of the products. You can make a beautiful, chemically perfect plasma derivative with all the right formulations, but because we are dealing with a biological material, that same derivative can be infectious,” says Victor Grifols. “Quality is extremely important and it goes hand-in-hand with safety. Our company has always been devoted to both quality and safety.”

When it comes to research and development, Grifols is constantly leading initiatives that will have a positive impact on the customers it serves. Currently, the company has embarked on a multi-national medical study to analyze the effects of plasmapheresis, albumin and gamma globulin on the advancement of Alzheimer’s disease. Early results are promising. “We hope to prove these products, used in combination, can be an efficacious and affordable treatment to help delay the advancement of Alzheimer’s, a disease that is growing at epidemic rates,” says Victor Grifols.

Spreading the Message of “Good Blood”

The plasma therapies industry came under fire three decades ago when a new and deadly virus contaminated the blood supply, infecting thousands of patients. At the time, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was an unknown disease, and therefore HIV antibodies were not yet a part of the blood supply screening process. Unfortunately, that incident still has negative ramifications today, with some still questioning whether the industry has done enough to ensure the safety and purity within the plasma supply chain.

“Even 30 years later, we are still paying the price for the AIDS outbreak in the 1980s,” says Victor Grifols. “It is something we still have to address, and as a company, we address it by establishing and maintaining the most stringent safety and testing standards in the industry. We can say with certainty that the blood and plasma supply chain is much safer today than it was 50 years ago. But, this is an evolving field.We can also say with certainty that the field will be safer 50 years from today. Safety is a never-ending pursuit.”

Part of promoting safety within the company and the industry, according to Grifols, is prioritizing education and training for employees. Grifols formed the Academy of Plasmapheresis in Glendale,Ariz., as part of its long history of continuous improvement and commitment to education. The Grifols Academy offers company employees a program of standardized education in plasma sciences, with an emphasis on the fundamentals of quality and ethics. It also provides life-long learning to participants, develops competencies and instills the sense of Grifols’ identity and values in its teammates.

“Our campus in Arizona encompasses a mock plasma center for training, a real plasma center for donating and a teaching academy,” explains Victor Grifols. By understanding the stringent guidelines and steps involved in bringing a blood plasma product to market, everyone involved can take greater ownership of the critical role they play. All of this results in a safer product for the patient.”