Thermo Fisher Scientific is the world leader in serving science – a distinction that goes hand in hand with its unwavering commitment to creating a better tomorrow. “Everything we do starts with our mission to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer,” says Vice President and General Manager for Australia and New Zealand Domenic Stranieri.
“The nature of our business is to enable growth and innovation within the global scientific community and to help scientists, researchers and organisations solve some of the world’s most pressing issues.”
Of course, when it comes to pressing issues, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to top the list. Now, nearly two years since its arrival, the virus still shows no signs of slowing down, with new variants cropping up across the globe.
Helping the world move forward
As a company in the business of helping customers accelerate life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies, delivering medicines to market and increasing laboratory productivity, Thermo Fisher Scientific was quick to act at the onset of the pandemic.
With its premier brands – Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services – the company used the power of its unmatched combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services as a force for good.
This has seen Thermo Fisher Scientific become a leading supplier in COVID-19 testing, with involvement in more than half of worldwide testing efforts. Even more, the company has provided protective equipment and specialised freezers, capable of storing anywhere from 5,000–250,000 doses of the vaccine, to meet the accelerating demand for vaccine storage across hospitals in Australia.
We believe that creating a better tomorrow starts with the action we take today.
“We’ve been making these freezers since the 1950s,” Domenic says. “Due to the need for vaccine storage, demand for these freezers was three times higher than usual in 2020 alone. To meet these demands from our customers in both the public and private sectors, we had to adjust our operational approach.”
The secret sauce
Thermo Fisher Scientific is guided by its “4i values” of integrity, intensity, innovation and involvement. More than allowing it to build a customer-centric culture, Domenic says, it also works to create an environment where staff can do their best work.
“Over the years, our diverse teams have brought many different perspectives with them that they’ve gained from different places and experiences around the world. And the blending of those ideas and perspectives spurs creativity and innovation, which is essential in a company like ours,” he explains.
“Innovation is key across our business, our culture and our thinking. It’s where our spark comes from and has been essential to the success of our company. The evolution, the transition, it helps us envision what tomorrow will look like; a tomorrow that our visionary team works to bring to life as they strive to advance science.”
They’re able to do this not solely because of their rich backgrounds but because of the company’s strong cultural foundation – it’s one where team members feel comfortable taking risks. “Our culture is the heartbeat of the organisation,” Domenic says. “This natural rhythm allows us to amplify our mission. By bringing in like-minded individuals from various backgrounds, we are able to form the fabric of this amazing organisation in a way that just feels natural.”
Thermo Fisher Scientific has more than 130,000 employees globally. Bound together by the company’s culture where “humbleness is a part of our DNA” and sharing the premise of making a difference each and every day, the team is expansive but close-knit.
We excel in connection and collaboration. It’s our secret sauce.
It’s something Domenic believes is a point of difference for the company. “We excel in connection and collaboration. It’s our secret sauce,” he points out.
Doing what’s right
Domenic has been with Thermo Fisher Scientific for almost two decades. Reflecting back on his time with the company, he shares that the reason he joined is the same reason he’s still there today.
“What initially attracted me to the company was its mission and its significant alignment with my own personal ethos. Having served abroad in APAC, the international experience I’ve gained has had a profound effect on my desire to do what’s right,” he reveals.
Domenic says the challenges faced by Thermo Fisher Scientific’s customers became very clear to him in the roles he held in China as well as in the Asia–Pacific region. These experiences only worked to further inspire him to make a difference.
“Australia and New Zealand play a critical role in our success story by providing cutting-edge technologies and services that are the result of our significant investment in research and development,” he says. “We believe that creating a better tomorrow starts with the action we take today. And we continually strive towards improvement and excellence for the benefit of our customers, our colleagues and the world.”
Sustainable Solutions
From design to disposal, Thermo Fisher Scientific innovates sustainable solutions to help laboratories have a positive impact on the world and a lighter touch on the planet.
• Product Ideation: US$1.2 billion (A$1.6 billion) in R&D expenditures.
As an industry leader, Thermo Fisher Scientific has the responsibility to continually seek new ways to facilitate and accelerate discovery for its customers. It also looks for ways to create environmentally responsible products like those manufactured using fewer toxic materials and that generate less hazardous waste.
• Responsible Sourcing: More than six tonnes of glass bottles eliminated.
By sourcing fewer toxic materials for its manufacturing operations and in its product designs, the company helps to reduce the regulatory burden associated with these chemicals, minimising hazardous waste and ensuring the availability of its products for years to come.
• Eco-Minded Manufacturing: 13 zero-waste-certified manufacturing sites.
Thermo Fisher Scientific’s goal is to manufacture products with eco-efficiency in mind. As it makes products, the company strives to make the most efficient use of the raw materials and energy inputs as possible – whether it’s how the chemical reactions are designed, how water is reduced for landscaping or how distribution centres are retrofitted for high-efficiency lighting.
• Lower-Impact Packaging and Shipping: 300,000 fewer coolers used each year.
Packaging design is an important focus to help ensure quality and performance while minimising environmental impact. When the company gets it right, costs are reduced, its carbon footprint is lowered and, at the same time, its customers are delighted because they have less rubbish to throw away.
• Using Greener Products: 54 product lines with greener alternatives.
Thermo Fisher Scientific partners with its customers to help bring sustainability to their labs and improve the efficiency of their operations. The folk there truly believe that it’s their responsibility to provide customers with high-performance products that are less hazardous and more energy efficient.
• Product End of Life: 50,000 kilograms e-waste diverted per year.
To Thermo Fisher Scientific, zero waste means zero contribution to the landfill. It doesn’t want its instruments to end up in the landfill or to sit idle at a customer’s site, taking up valuable space in the lab. By bringing used instruments back to be refurbished, the company is able to harvest re-usable parts while responsibly recycling whatever remains.
