Roman Harviscak, the Managing Director of Movianto Central Eastern Europe (CEE), has had an impressive career journey that spans from veterinary school to leading one of the most innovative pharmaceutical logistics companies in the region. Under his leadership, Movianto CEE has grown from two small start-ups to a company with three warehouses and 130 employees, offering unique services that set it apart from competitors.
Q: Can you tell us about your career journey and your past experiences in logistics?
Roman Harviscak: I started my career right after finishing university, where I studied veterinary science. My first job was in the pharmaceutical wholesale business, focusing on sales and purchasing. Over time, I became very interested in logistics, which led me to various roles in the industry, eventually becoming the Commercial Director of Moraviapharm in the 90s.
After ten years in my Director role, I decided to establish a new pharmaceutical and healthcare logistics company with two friends. We built the business from nothing. We established relationships with local suppliers using my previous contacts, rented a small warehouse, and handled the transport planning and warehousing processes. The three of us managed every detail for the first few years, and we did quite well.
Q: How did you end up at Movianto?
Roman Harviscak: In 2004, Celesio bought the company I had founded, and the Movianto Europe network was formed later by merging with other companies from other countries. Since then, I have been the Managing Director of Movianto Czech Republic.
In 2010, my team and I saw an opportunity to build another business from scratch, and with the blessing of Movianto management, we established Movianto Slovakia, also from zero. I have been managing both countries’ operations since, under the umbrella of Movianto CEE.
Q: You mentioned building the two businesses from nothing. Can you elaborate on this journey and what it means to you?
Roman Harviscak: Absolutely. Building these businesses has been a labour of love for me and my team. When we began, we had nothing but our passion, dedication, and some industry experience.
I can still say today that I know everything that goes on in Movianto CEE because I was the first employee, and my small team and I managed every detail of the business for the first few years: operations, transport, accounting, sales relationships. It’s an extremely personal organisation.
In the end, Movianto Czech Republic and Movianto Slovakia were built from zero by myself and my team, and today, they are mid-sized companies that we are all incredibly proud of.
Q: How has Movianto CEE evolved over the years?
Roman Harviscak: We have grown significantly. We now have one warehouse in the Brno region, one in the Prague region and one in Slovakia. Everything is done electronically, which is a huge leap from 20 years ago when everything was paper based. We have implemented EDI connections for orders and client communications, making our processes more efficient.
Most important is the people, of course. We currently employ 130 teammates, and more than 60% of our employees have been with us for over ten years. This longevity speaks to the dedication, expertise, and good spirit of our team.
Q: What unique services does your logistics operation offer that set you apart from competitors?
Roman Harviscak: We are more independent and client-focused compared to regular wholesalers. Our services include cold chain storage, ambient services, and storage at temperatures as low as -85°C. We also offer storage and transport services for narcotic products, and cross-docking services, which is rare in our market.
Additionally, we hold manufacturing licences for secondary manufacturing, such as repackaging, kitting, changing languages of labels and leaflets. Manufacturing was added specifically because a client requested it, and for the same reason we also provide storage and distribution of frozen products.
Q: Could you describe your team’s relationship with your clients?
Roman Harviscak: Our clients are very satisfied with our services, and we have excellent client retention. Many of our employees have been with us for over 20 years, which provides stability for our clients; they know we understand their needs. Unlike regular wholesalers who focus on quantity, simply delivering to thousands of pharmacies daily and ticking the boxes, our objective is to offer tailored, high-quality healthcare logistics solutions to our clients, meeting their specific needs.
To further our relationships with clients, we are constantly innovating and adding new services to meet their demands. Next month, we will start offering storage at -85°C. Our client-centric approach has resulted in long-term satisfaction and loyalty.
Q: What are the current trends in the pharma logistics industry in your country, and are there any recent developments or innovations that you are particularly excited about?
Roman Harviscak: We are seeing an ageing population, more home care, and a dramatic increase in the prices of pharmaceutical products. The consumption, especially of consumer health items, is growing rapidly. We are also seeing the growing popularity of special products for diabetes and anti-obesity drugs. So, the basis of our business is still growing, and we are very confident about our future development.I’m interested to see the future of logistics with more digitalisation of processes, and more individualised medicines, often that require more care when handling and potentially faster deliveries directly to pharmacies and hospitals. We are prepared for these demands, and we will continue to work with our clients to innovate alongside them and provide the high-quality service they need.