The Group Operations Function is responsible for delivering sustainable and scalable growth across our global operations network, driving efficiency, and ensuring a unified One Lonza experience for customers worldwide. Through process innovation, standardization and harmonization, Group Operations supports our growth trajectory while simplifying and streamlining internal processes.
The Function comprises core global teams including Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS), Engineering, Procurement, Supply Chain, Operational Excellence and Program Management.
Our focus on unparalleled customer partnerships – a core component of the Lonza Engine® – underpins the focus of our Program Management team. In 2025, we advanced our end-to-end delivery model to execute operational improvements and ensure customers receive a consistent, high-quality experience across all touchpoints.
A key milestone was the introduction of the Customer Portfolio Manager role across Lonza’s Business Platforms. This new role focuses on providing a seamless customer experience for complex, cross-platform and multi-technology programs across the organization, while working in close collaboration with the global Program Management team to harmonize delivery. We also continued to empower local project teams to serve customers effectively by providing a robust framework for high-performing teams and offering targeted training to further strengthen skills. In addition, we integrated our operational and customer program escalation processes to ensure timely decision-making and rapid resolution of emerging issues.
To enhance efficiency and responsiveness, we leveraged generative AI and automation to harness customer insights, increase efficiency and improve the overall customer experience. The team defined practical use cases, refined prompts for impactful results, and compiled a Program Management prompt library. Adoption of AI was carefully accelerated through targeted training, clear guidance for Program Management teams, and a form for sharing best practices. These initiatives enable faster, more informed responses to customer requests, reduce administrative overhead costs, and support a seamless customer-centric approach.
Lonza’s Lean approach emphasizes a culture of continuous improvement, empowering teams to simplify processes, increase impact, and maintain customer value. This approach underlines Lonza’s focus on end-to-end execution excellence, delivered through a strong combination of unique development, manufacturing, quality and plant engineering capabilities.
In 2025, we continued to expand Lean initiatives across our global network, embedding these principles into daily operations to drive efficiency and consistency. A key Lean initiative is the standardized Value Stream Mapping (VSM) methodology. Introduced across Lonza’s Business Platforms, the VSM methodology enables teams to visualize the flow of materials and information throughout a process, from start to finish. By mapping every step involved, teams can identify bottlenecks and opportunities to increase productivity and design more streamlined, effective operations.
By fostering continuous improvement and enabling cross-site replication, the VSM program exemplifies One Lonza in action, empowering teams locally while advancing operational excellence across our global network.
As part of Lonza’s commitment to sustainable growth, our project management framework guides strategic growth projects – high-impact initiatives that align with our long-term strategy, expand our capabilities and strengthen our competitive edge – from initial concept to final delivery. Projects are selected through a rigorous process that balances evolving customer needs with long-term business objectives, considering strategic alignment, market potential, feasibility, and return on investment. This comprehensive approach supports our ability to generate sustained value for the business.
Throughout the project lifecycle, we employ a streamlined, stage-gated approach that drives efficiency and accountability. At every phase, both technical solutions and the commercial case are refined with clearly defined metrics and approvals guiding investment decisions. Continuous progress tracking facilitates early issue identification and resolution, helping to align timelines and budgets more effectively.
Each initiative is managed by a dedicated project lead and supported by a cross-functional team with close oversight through regular steering committee reviews. The broader project portfolio is monitored by the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors. This governance structure helps keep execution on track while enabling the incorporation of lessons learned and the continious refinement of project management capabilities.
Chief Quality Officer
In 2025, we have continued to push progress in elevating operational excellence and further improving our discipline in executing CapEx investments. I wish Jason every success as he takes over the leadership of Group Operations and I focus on my new role as Chief Quality Officer.
In 2025, we continued to advance our growth agenda through disciplined capital investment execution and a strengthened delivery model to scale effectively. Global Engineering aligned practices to our new operating structure, through four key pillars:
These enhancements reflect Lonza’s longstanding commitment to Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement. By embedding these principles across planning, delivery, and governance, we aim to be the reference standard for regulated manufacturing, ensuring that Lonza remains well-positioned to deliver long-term value and sustainable growth.
Within the Global Supply Chain team, we strive to enhance Lonza’s supply chain maturity by providing standardized processes and effective toolkits that support company growth. One focus area is the review and improvement of end-to-end supply chain processes across the business, with initiatives including:
Another priority is enhancing the maturity of supply chain teams at manufacturing sites through a Certification Program designed to drive local process excellence. The program provides a structured framework to evaluate process maturity, operational compliance, and system utilization, ensuring each site operates in line with global standards for efficiency, accuracy, and control. Certified sites have demonstrated strong performance across a broad range of supply chain KPIs, reflecting consistent execution, robust system reliability, and high master data quality. These capabilities enable comprehensive planning and reliable execution, positioning sites to effectively manage increasing complexity and support sustainable growth effectively.
In 2025, we continued our efforts to simplify and automate procurement processes. We rolled out new systems and processes across many sites to enable lean and scalable Procure-to-Pay operations, facilitating continuous business growth with minimal operating cost increases while eliminating waste and significantly improving business user satisfaction.
We also launched a new Supplier Lifecycle Management system to streamline, simplify and automate key supplier-related processes. By increasing self-service and hands-free solutions, we achieved a 15% increase in touchless order rates, significantly boosting operational buyer productivity (+20% versus baseline) and enabling Procurement to refocus on efficiency efforts within sourcing.
We continued engaging with suppliers and conducting ESG risk assessments, while encouraging them to set science-based climate targets. Our Responsible Sourcing Framework was recognized as a winning program by the Sustainable Procurement Pledge’s Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences Group, selected among six exemplary submissions from 70 entries.
We further broadened the team’s mandate to include broader risk management, launching with a supply chain climate risk analysis, aligned with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) requirements. Finally, we collaborated closely with supplier partners to secure reliable raw material supply and strengthen supply chain resilience by qualifying alternative manufacturing sites within our existing network and onboarding alternative suppliers.
Head of Group Operations
Maria has laid a strong foundation for execution excellence in Group Operations, and I am looking forward to supporting Lonza's ambitious growth trajectory by leading this important function into its next chapter.
