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 This
unlocks our strategic potential, facilitating a cross-fertilisation
of ideas and disciplines in the three key areas of our business
– medical diagnostics, protein
separations and discovery systems. It gives us an opportunity to
learn from each other, to keep abreast of the latest developments
in science and medicine and to recognise how these may impact on
our businesses. It helps us discover our similarities and respect
our differences. And all of this, we believe, will help us reach
our business goals more effectively.
Amersham is able to bridge the genotype – the genetic code that
determines what causes disease – and the phenotype, the physical
symptoms of disease in the body. This gives us a unique perspective
for recognising emerging possibilities in molecular medicine. For
example, we are already beginning to see how measuring genetic variation
takes us closer to medical diagnostics. Complementing our broad
platform of leading technologies is a large and diverse pool of
resources for transforming these possibilities into commercially
successful medical innovations. Few other companies can match our
range of scientific competencies, commercial strengths, managerial
skills and the varied talents of our global workforce.
With 100 per cent ownership of both businesses, the real prize
of removing the ‘Chinese wall’ between them is that this allows
us to bring the totality of our technology base and our customer
base together. Just as our technologies span the breadth from genotype
to phenotype, our customers also cover a wide range – from scientists
studying genetic variation and proteins in the laboratory, to big
pharmaceutical companies, CROs (contract research organisations),
hospitals, doctors and patients. At a time when different technologies
are converging and reshaping medical science, our breadth creates
opportunities to take the next steps into personalised medicine.
We understand the science and we understand how to use it in a market
setting. Linking the science to customer needs will bring medical
discoveries more quickly to the patients.
We
in Amersham aim to behave as a responsible business and we endorse
the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility – CSR. Good corporate
governance – ie. being seen to be managing our shareholders’ assets
responsibly and transparently – is an important part of CSR, and
I feel we operate at high standards of corporate governance throughout
the group.
The principles of CSR extend to other important aspects of the
company’s business conduct and behaviour as well. These include
employment policies and practices, health, safety and environmental
performance, our responsibilities to the communities in which we
work, and charitable support to those less fortunate in our society.
These principles pose real challenges, and I do not claim that Amersham
currently does all of this as well as we can or should, but I can
say that we are working on it. This is our responsibility as a company
and my personal responsibility as Chief Executive.
Millions of people depend on the integrity of businesses for their
livelihood; and the wealth created by successful, well-managed companies
has delivered tremendous benefits to large parts of society around
the globe. To sustain and grow these benefits, we must support the
ability of good companies to innovate and deliver the long term
growth that is crucial to secure the other components of CSR.
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