kp and me

Meet Evaristo Cenatti

Pharma and Thermo Sales Manager, PHD

I’m nearing a very important milestone in my career with kp. I’ve been with this company for almost 20 years. Sometimes I ask myself: “where did the time go?!” and what makes this all the more special is that I was one of the first on the ground in Brazil, setting up kp in this new territory for the business.

I started out as an Account Manager for the pharmaceutical and packaging market. Our activities in the market looked very different back then. In our infancy, we started out as an importer and distributor of mono films and PVDC, but without local production. Back then, we had to keep a constant ear to the ground for local competition - certainly one of the most challenging aspects of the work we were doing at the time.

I’m pleased to say that I thrived in that role and after a few years, I was given responsibility for sales in kp Brazil. Later, I moved over to the Food Packaging Division.

It’s been a very moving experience

Having a fundamental role to play in creating kp Brazil and not only watching but influencing its growth from strength to strength - has been and continues to be an exciting experience for me. For some people, almost 20 years in one company will seem like a very long time, but for me? It’s an honour. And I am so proud of how I’ve grown with the business. The business has become a leader in this country and in turn, I’ve become a leader in the business.

To become a leading company in a country the size of Brazil is an incredible achievement. Our quality is recognised far and wide and not just by our customers, but by industry experts as well. The most effective illustration of our success is this: we’ve won 15 awards as Best Supplier in Pharmaceuticals in 15 years. It’s been a very moving experience for me. I’ve been invested in this level of success and customer satisfaction throughout this journey and with my whole heart.

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The Calender Machine: my greatest highlight

My team measures success based on the level of care and quality we deliver for our customers. We do this by making sure we have a great relationship with our customers: we actively involve them in the various steps of the production process. They’ll even find themselves part of the final testing of our machines.

Evaristo Cenatti

Pharma and Thermo Sales Manager of our PHD Division

C49 the first machine installed in Brazil

The machines we use and the skill with which we deploy them is what drives that customer satisfaction. So when we received the very first Calender machine in Cotia, in 2004 it was a true highlight for me.

Machines like the Calender are quite the investment, especially when we were so young into our development in Brazil. What’s more: the conditions in the country were rather unstable at the time, so it was even more of an achievement being able to make the business case to the Board for the investment at that particular time. It’s a moment in my career and in my life that I’ll never forget.

How do we stay ahead of the game?

Our high-speed machines not only turn out the goods, but those goods are high quality.

Three things: speed, price, experience.

There are 220 million people in Brazil. To compete in our market, you need to supply those people with products - quickly. Local companies can easily do this, but due to our experience and equipment, so can we - across the whole country. 10 years ago, we had a machine here that used to produce 86 blisters per minute, now our low cost machines produce 900 blisters per minute. Our high-speed machines not only turn out the goods, but those goods are high quality. And this is where we hold an advantage over our competitors.

We’re able to manufacture the right products quickly, at the right price, while maintaining the necessary quality to ensure our customers’ positive experience.

For me, it’s all about sustainability

When developing products like ours, it’s important to think of two key factors: the climate and the economy. Brazil’s hot climate means that we need to supply a product with a shelf life designed to withstand the life of the medicine. As a global business, we are creating the conditions with which people around the world are able to safely receive their medicine. As a local business, here in Brazil we are creating pharmaceutical packaging products that enable access and reliability, regardless of challenging factors like a hot climate and often high poverty.

This is what sustainability means to me. We create protective materials like our barrier films that will last a long time despite the heat, which in turn lowers the overall costs for our customers, avoids waste and unnecessary additional purchases. Sustainable, innovative packaging like this can be a saving grace for poorer people in Brazil.

Living in Sāo Paolo has made me a better leader

One of the delights of living in Sāo Paulo is just how multicultural it is. I used to live in the countryside with my family but as my daughters grew older, I wanted to give them a more upbeat, energised and varied lifestyle. I wanted to teach them respect; to bring them up with the right values. Luckily, we are surrounded by so many different cultures representing a hugely diverse set of values, perspectives and viewpoints here in Brazil - this has definitely given me an ability to adapt to any situation. This is, I believe, a very important trait in a leader and a sales person. Different customers will come to you with different values, ways of working, communication styles. My job as a senior salesperson is to embrace and mirror them in a way that they feel respected and listened to.

Luckily, we are surrounded by so many different cultures representing a hugely diverse set of values, perspectives and viewpoints here in Brazil - this has definitely given me an ability to adapt to any situation.

Open conversation = integrated teams

I’m proud to have created a revived sense of positivity, integration and connection amongst the teams here. Like most large - scale, multi department organisations, it can be a challenge to ensure continued synergie between multiple teams. In November 2019, I took on that challenge. Today, the production teams, sales teams and quality planning teams work with, and alongside each other with a refreshed energy. We share the same vision and work, not as individuals but as an integrated team with common goals and shared challenges. Today we operate as one environment, one company.