Transfusion and Transplant integration
With the acquisition of Immucor in March 2023, more than 1,000 new colleagues joined Werfen, making us an even more innovative and global leader in Specialized Diagnostics. We established two new business lines; Transfusion and Transplant, each with its own, new technology center, and in the background, hundreds of our people have been involved in the momentous task of integrating our operations.
The integration process continues apace and is expected to be complete by the second half of 2025. Read below as some of the key figures in this process share their views about their role in this giant undertaking.
An overwhelmingly positive experience
I joined Immucor 27 years ago. I’m the former head of North American sales.
In 2023, my team worked closely with the Commercial Operations team in North America on the integration. The experience has been overwhelmingly positive; everyone has shown a great deal of respect, and we have learned a lot from one another. I particularly enjoy being part of a large team.
We knew that a major challenge for both the acquisition and integration would be how Transfusion and Transplant employees feel about changes. I am pleased to say that after meeting and working with our new colleagues, employees feel valued and appreciated.
Chairman Marc Rubiralta and CEO Carlos Pascual each went out of their way to meet with us; it meant a lot.
Being acquired by a company that shares our values and believes in the long-term is a huge thing. I am a great believer in the We are one theme and am excited about Transfusion’s and Transplant’s futures.
Irene DeMezzo
VP Commercial Operations, North America
Transfusion and Transplant
A rewarding, learning experience
I have had an active role in the acquisition of Immucor since August 2022, overseeing the due diligence, acquisition, and integration phases of our new business lines, Transfusion and Transplant.
Working internationally, particularly in the United States, has taught me a great deal about our business, as has working with the Integration Management Office, Steering Committee, and local integration teams.
In 2023, the Legal team dedicated its efforts to unifying the legal teams on a global scale. I’m excited to say that in November 2023, Immucor’s Spanish and Portuguese operations were successfully integrated with those of Werfen’s Iberia affiliate. Our goal is to complete the integration process on a global scale in the latter half of 2025.
In every business process, people are key, and our new colleagues at Transfusion and Transplant have been invaluable in helping us learn about and understand the business and its operations. The integration has been a rewarding experience for everyone.
I think that the success of the integration process, thus far, is because Werfen is a family-owned company and a global leader in specialized diagnostics.
Isabel Madruga
General Counsel
2023 – a year of learning
I have worked at Werfen for 19 years. I’m a former General Manager of Italy and of Portugal.
My involvement with Transfusion and Transplant began during the discovery phase, pre-acquisition. I was named VP Finance, Transfusion and Transplant in 2023 after the deal closed. My responsibilities include the integration of finance, accounting, reporting, and analysis across all corporate functions and departments of our two new business lines, Transfusion and Transplant.
Several significant themes have played a crucial role in the integration process. And we have been careful to take the time to understand how the process might affect our new colleagues. We are focusing on retaining talent.
Being a privately-owned company and global leader in specialized diagnostics has been a big plus for our new colleagues. We have a unique understanding of the business and business model, as well as a shared culture of quality and service.
I will always remember 2023 as a year of learning and growth. Although we faced many challenges, our team worked closely together to overcome them. The integration is still in full swing, and we look forward to realizing its potential in the years to come.
Jordi Llorens
VP Finance
Transfusion and Transplant
Managing a time of great change
I joined Werfen as Corporate Business Development Director in late October 2022, just before the acquisition of Immucor was announced. A few months later, I was already actively involved in closing the transaction and planning for the integration.
Since then, I have been coordinating the Integration Management Office (IMO), overseeing all integration activities and reporting to our Steering Committee. The integration team is comprised of senior leaders from eleven functions in our organization. The main goal of the IMO is to ensure a seamless and successful transition process by managing complex projects and aligning efforts toward integration success. In our role, we also facilitate important discussions and resolve complex issues in collaboration with diverse stakeholders. An integration of this magnitude requires solid project management and coordination as there are so many interdependent activities. It is like a complex puzzle.
One of the biggest challenges is working with teams for which integration activities come on top of their day-to-day responsibilities, all the while navigating a period of significant change.
Despite the complexity, the integration process has been successful thus far; thanks to a collaborative effort that transcends functions and borders.
I have had the privilege of working with an exceptional team on this project, and I am looking forward to continuing our integration efforts.
Giuse Lauria
Corporate Business Development Director
Integrating our brand around the world
Watch this video to see how we rebranded Transfusion and Transplant locations around the world.