Veeva Systems Has the Best Economic Medicine: Another Growth Spurt

By Nicole Zaro Stahl, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Company's Workforce has Doubled in Size in 2010, to Over 200 Employees

Veeva Systems is a stellar example of a company that has the right products for the right market at the right time, and it shows. The self-described "leader in multi-tenant SaaS-based solutions for the global life sciences industry" just tripled the size of its headquarters at 4637 Chabot Drive, boosting the total to almost 12,000 square feet. It has plans to more than double its workforce this year, pushing its global head count to over 200 employees. As if that were not enough, last month CEO Peter Gassner was selected by the trade publication PharmaVOICE as "one of the top 100 most inspirational and influential people in the life sciences industry for 2010."

"This award is really a reflection not so much of me but of the company, and of the way it is run under my leadership," Gassner comments with typical modesty. His management principles, he explains, are very straightforward: "to do the right thing, and keep our customers first in our mind." That may not be unique, he admits, "but it is our approach. We also are very accountable and hard-working. There is no magic bullet. We deliver good customer service and good products, every day, every week, every quarter, every year."

Founded by a core group of customer relationship management (CRM) industry veterans and life sciences experts in Pleasanton almost four years ago, Veeva's primary value proposition is accelerated "time to value" for its customers. Instead of the long, cumbersome, and expensive deployment associated with enterprise CRM, Veeva offers the flexible, much less costly software-as-a-service model, which enables users to reap benefits in as little as three weeks.

In a world of proliferating mobile devices, the software's mobile, or MaaS, capability delivers an especially exciting advantage. "People can use our software on a BlackBerry, an iPhone or iPad, on a Windows mobile or laptop, and, soon, on Android," he relates. This is a great boon for Veeva customers. For example, pharmaceutical representatives can be inside a hospital, out of range of cell phone coverage, and still access the software. "The accurate, timely recording of information is needed not only for sales and marketing efficiency but also to satisfy FDA regulatory requirements because pharmaceutical companies must record their interactions with doctors. Our systems give customers everything they need on the spot, instead of having to remember the details, write them down, and enter them later on a computer."

In addition to its Pleasanton location, which houses most of its executives and product teams, Veeva has a sales and marketing office in Philadelphia and is increasing its global presence, with a European headquarters in Barcelona and operations in Shanghai and Beijing.

"This is our year of international expansion," Gassner comments. "We have very happy customers, and that word gets around. By global standards, we are a small company, but small business is a real growth engine. We are creating jobs and exporting product overseas, the best medicine for the U.S. economy," he concludes.

For more information, visit www.veevasystems.com.

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