You may have never heard of Veeva Systems, but you’ve certainly heard of the companies it supports: Pfizer, Moderna, Eli Lilly, Merck, Bayer, and over a thousand more emerging biotechs. These may be the companies making headlines, but they’re all powered by the software that drives the Life Sciences industry: Veeva.
From pharma to biotech, consumer health to medtech, Veeva’s mission is to help companies bring new medicines and treatments to patients faster. While Veeva isn’t directly working with consumers, companies around the world use Veeva’s cloud software to help them transform to a digital approach to running their business — from customer relationship management, to data analytics and digital clinical trials.
It’s precisely this mission that has drawn so many Veevans to join the global team of over 5,000 strong, and growing! Veeva is one of the world’s fastest-growing companies, named to the Fortune 100 Fastest-Growing Companies list consistently for the past 5 years, and Fortune Future 50.
They’ve also been growing their presence — and their headcount. In 2018, Veeva announced a new U.S. Hub office in Columbus, Ohio and the addition of 130 software engineering, IT, services, and finance jobs in the region. Since then, the company has continued to grow and hire in Columbus (the office is now at 220 people, growing about 30% annually) and around the world with a goal of 10,000 employees by 2025.
Veeva's hub in Dublin, Ohio, just outside of Columbus
Catherine Allshouse is the Global CIO & Head of Cloud Operations at Veeva Systems and has spearheaded the company’s expansion in Columbus.
“When Veeva was looking for a second US hub office, we looked at over 15 cities. We chose Columbus for three main reasons: the innovation and energy, the talent pipeline and a community of people aligned with our values,” said Allshouse.
“There is a high degree of vibrant innovation and entrepreneurship in Columbus, creating a startup culture that's creative and moves fast. Both the excellent education institutions and the technical workforce provide a high quality candidate pool for Veeva's cloud technology and business jobs. And, lastly, Veeva sees a great alignment with our strong business ethic and 'Do the Right Thing’ values. That resonates here in Columbus,” she said.
Benefit Beyond Profit
Unlike many large, public software companies, Veeva is a certified Public Benefit Corporation (PBC). In February 2021, Veeva became the first public company to convert to a PBC. But what does that mean for the company and its people?
Like a B Corp, a PBC is required to consider impact on all stakeholders. But PBCs, as public companies and legal entities, have an extra legal requirement of a “public benefit” that is built into its Certificate of Incorporation. Veeva remains a for-profit company but is legally responsible to balance the interests of multiple stakeholders. That includes its customers, employees, partners, and shareholders.
Included in Veeva’s Certificate of Incorporation is its public benefit purpose: “to help make the industries it serves more productive and create high-quality employment opportunities.”
The switch to PBC didn’t change how Veeva operated daily; they’ve always taken customers, employees, and their communities into account when making decisions. But being a PBC adds extra accountability and legal requirements for the company to keep everyone’s interests in consideration, not just their shareholders.
“We believe social and economic benefits go hand in hand and have always operated with the long-term view that doing the right thing for our customers, employees, and communities ultimately allows us to deliver the best results for investors,” said Peter Gassner, founder and CEO of Veeva.
The PBC proposal received widespread support from customers, employees, and shareholders. It passed by an overwhelming majority vote with 99% of voting shareholders in favor, including the vast majority of the company’s largest shareholders.
What does a PBC mean to employees? Well, it means that the company legally has to consider its employees when making decisions.
“For employees, what that means is that we have to take care of each other. It’s part of our legal duties, it’s part of the board’s responsibility. So employees have a seat at the table, the very important table: the board table,” Gassner said.
The PBC reinforces Veeva’s values to talented people wanting to join the company, reaffirming that it is a place where they can give their best and work with purpose.
“I’m proud to be part of a company that has a broader purpose and isn’t only about the money,” said Sayaka So, engineering manager at Veeva Systems. “As part of a public benefit corporation, I know my contributions will help make a positive impact in the world.”
In addition to attracting people who are aligned with their values, Gassner said becoming a Public Benefit Corporation has shifted the company’s mindset and opened a whole new source of ideas. Ideas before would come from, "What can we do to grow the business?" and then double check them with the values. Gassner said the team now often leads with their mission, asking “what can we do that’s in line with our values,” then double check it with our business purpose.
From the Veevans themselves
Veeva always has their employees at the top of mind. That’s why they offer amazing benefits, including a professional development budget, wellness stipend, work from anywhere remote flexibility, unlimited PTO and winter break.
But don’t take it from us. Take it from them, the Veevans:
Senior Engineering Manager, Alec Imperial, was looking to find a startup environment with enterprise resources, which was what brought him to Veeva. There, Alec has found a rewarding challenge to tackle: helping pharma companies advance with technology that helps them to improve processes and work faster.
“Covid tested the life sciences industry and their work is so essential that helping a customer get their Covid studies up and running in a two-week period was really rewarding knowing there was a participant in that study that wouldn’t need to wait to receive treatment,” Alec said.
In addition to working on a great challenge, Veeva also has contributed to Alec’s personal growth.
“Equally significant is that Veeva has provided a framework for the overall healthier lifestyle that I embraced as a commitment to myself and my family after losing a significant amount of weight. Veeva helped me continue on this path by reinforcing positive habits, like healthy food in the cafeteria and micro kitchens as well as offering fitness classes like circuit training,” Alec said. “I also enjoy circuit training and seeing our CEO Peter right there with the rest of us.”
Senior Manager of Engineering, Grace Batumbya, appreciates how Veeva’s commitment to people is lived out every day.
“At Veeva, putting people first isn’t just about grandiose statements. It’s about the meaningful day-to-day signs of respect like starting a meeting on time, and providing an inviting workspace,” Grace said.
If you’re thinking about applying to Veeva, here’s what Grace would say to you:
“Come to the place where you will have the ability to work with cool technologies and build solutions to complex engineering problems in an environment where you are supported with a high level of collaboration. Veeva’s Core Values are in practice every day. And by the way, the pay is good too! That’s the Employee Success value in practice!”
Want to be a part of a growing team helping medicines and vaccines get to the people who need them faster? Veeva is rapidly hiring for their office in Columbus (with work from anywhere flexibility). Explore the open jobs at Veeva and apply now.
