About Us

Who we are

CEPD is an international holding company,  which operates the 3rd largest pharmacy chain in the European Union with over 1660 pharmacies in Poland, Lithuania and Sweden.

CEPD is an experienced and knowledgeable healthcare actor in Europe, with a distinctive know-how and solid foundations. The Company was incorporated in the Netherlands in 2008, and has its headquarters in Amsterdam. It is the retail business line of Pelion S.A., the largest company operating in the healthcare sector in Poland.

CEPD has more than 13 years of experience in the retail pharmaceutical market. Company ethos dictates exceptional pharmaceutical care whilst providing extensive experience with e−commerce. With a particular focus on the needs of our patients, we place emphasis on customer service and it remains at the forefront of our values.

MISSION

Our mission is to care for a healthy and long life of our patients and clients by providing easy access to affordable products and the best advice.

VISION

Our vision is to be the European lead for the health and wellbeing of our patients and clients by being flexible and creative while providing world class products and services.

CEPD management board

The Management Board of CEPD consists in a board of directors, structured in the form of a one-tier board composed of non-executive and executive directors.

Dr. Fritz Oesterle

Dr Fritz Oesterle graduated in law at the University of Tübingen and received his doctorate degree in law in 1979. He also completed the Harvard Business School in 1998.

Dr Oesterle was a partner of Gleiss Lutz, an international, Stuttgart-based law firm till 1989. In 1990 he established and managed his own law firm together with Dr Frank Oppenländer (Oppenländer, Oesterle & Partner) till he took over the role as Chairman of the Management Board and Chief Executive Officer of Celesio AG in 1999. He has held this position for more than 12 years till 30th of June 2011.

Dr Fritz Oesterle has more than 20 years of managerial experience in the pharmaceutical sector. In the past, he held – beside his positions in companies of Celesio Group – positions in supervisory boards of several companies from pharmaceutical, financial and other sectors: Dino entertainment AG, Stuttgart, Christophsbad Göppingen, Dr. Landerer Söhne GmbH, Göppingen; Eckert & Ziegler Strahlen- and Medizintechnik AG, Berlin.

He was a member of the Board of Directors of IFPW (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers, Inc.), Fairfax, Virginia, and a member of the executive Committee of GIRP (Groupement International de la Repartition Pharmaceutique Européenne), Brussels (European Association of pharmaceutical wholesalers). Dr Oesterle is a member of the Health Committee of DIHK.

Currently Dr Oesterle is one out of 6 trustees of Schwarz Unternehmenstreuhand KG (the holding company of Lidl and Kaufland) and he holds the following positions in Supervisory and Advisory Boards: Member of the Advisory Board of Société Générale in Germany;member of the Supervisory Board of Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW); Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Untertürkheimer Volksbank eG; Chairman of the Advisory Board of Schmieder Kliniken, Allensbach, the leading hospital chain for neurological rehabilitation in Germany.

Since 2006 Dr Fritz Oesterle serves as British Honorary Consul in Baden-Württemberg.

Jacek Szwajcowski

Entrepreneur, co-founder and the President of the Management Board of Pelion S.A..

Mr Jacek Szwajcowski holds a degree from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Technical University of Łódź.

Jacek Szwajcowski is a co-founder of Pelion S.A., where he serves as a Chief Executive Officer from the beginning of the company’s founding. The company was established in 1990 on the initiative of a group of Polish entrepreneurs. Ever since Pelion has been an important contributor to Poland’s economy, active across all segments of pharmaceutical distribution: wholesale, retail sales and sales to hospitals, and expanding its foothold in Lithuania and Sweden. The company's mission is to care for the quality and length of life.

In addition to involvement in the further development of the company, Jacek engages in the Polish Business Roundtable, an organization associating owners and key managers of the largest Polish enterprises, and companies operating in Poland, serving as a President of the association until May 2019 and currently being its Member.

As a part of postgraduate education, he completed courses at Harvard Kennedy School, George Mason University, Said Business School – University of Oxford and Jackson Institute for Global Affairs – Yale University. He is a member of the Supervisory Board of several companies, including listed company Pharmena S.A.

Initiator of the "I care for my health" Foundation, assisting the elderly to obtain essential medicines. As a passionate of the tradition of Polish pharmacy, he initiated the Museum of Pharmacy in Lodz. Publisher of series of monographs about the most famous Polish pharmacies.

Zbigniew Molenda

Vice-President of the Management Board of Pelion S.A., responsible for Distribution.

Mr Zbigniew Molenda holds a degree from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Technical University of Łódź.

In 1990, Mr Zbigniew Molenda co-founded Hurtownia Leków MEDICINES (a wholesale pharmaceutical outlet), in which, upon its transformation into a joint-stock company, he assumed the position of Vice-President of the Management Board. The company is still operating, currently as a holding company under the name of Pelion S.A., Mr Zbigniew Molenda has remained Vice-President of the Management Board of Pelion S.A, which has been active in the healthcare sector for many years now.

Jacek Dauenhauer

Vice-President of the Management Board of Pelion S.A., responsible for Finance.

Mr Jacek Dauenhauer holds a degree from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Łódź. He has also completed a number of courses and training programmes in economics and finance, including a course for investment advisers in 1993.

From 1997, Mr Dauenhauer worked for Medicines S.A., and then for Polska Grupa Farmaceutyczna S.A., where he was Chief Financial Officer, and since 2007 served as Vice-President of the Management Board. Currently, Mr Dauenhauer is Vice-President of the Management Board of the holding company, Pelion S.A. (formerly: PGF S.A.).

Alicja Kolesnik

Alicja Koleśnik graduated from the Faculty of Management at the University of Economics in Poznan. She also completed MBA and Executive MBA studies at the Canadian Management Institute and many foreign management and marketing programmes at Harvard Business School, The Kellogg School of Management, as well as at INSEAD Business School incl. Advanced Management Programme.

Alicja Koleśnik's professional experience is related to the retail market. Before joining the DOZ Team, for eighteen years she successfully managed the commercial area in the international retail chain Jeronimo Martins Group, which is the undisputed leader in its market.

Alicja Koleśnik has been associated with Pelion since January 2015. As the Chairman of the Management Board of DOZ S.A. she successfully and effectively implemented the restructuring of the company, setting out the strategy and directions of development for the following years.

She strengthened the position of DOZ S.A. in the retail pharmaceutical market, consistently achieving its goals and implementing modern solutions for Patients. By introducing innovative concepts and high standards, she took care to create a friendly reality for Patients, Employees and Business Partners.

DOZ S.A. has received four times in a row (in 2017-2020) the prestigious title of Best Workplace in Poland, awarded by the international Great Place to Work institute to companies operating on the basis of trust and ensuring the satisfaction of employees. In 2020, the Polish Business Council awarded DOZ S.A. the Retail Business Award in the Market Innovator category.

Egle Zulaniene

Ms Egle Zulaniene is a graduate of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences in Kaunas with followed residency of otorhinolaryngology and doctor’s practise at university’s hospital in Kaunas.

Ms Egle Zulaniene has also graduated International School of Management (Executive MBA), Academy of Psychology (Vilnius).

She was the owner of Lithuanian wholesale and retail vertically integrated pharmaceutical distributing companies in Lithuania, after sale of business to Pelion Healthcare Group Ms Egle Zulaniene has been serving as a Chairperson of Management board at Nacionalinė Farmacijos Grupė, branch of Pelion Healthcare Group in Lithuania.

Mariola Belina-Prazmowska

Vice-President of the Management Board of Pelion S.A., responsible for Development and Strategic Projects.

Ms Mariola Belina-Prażmowska is a graduate of the University of Lodz’s Faculty of Economics and Sociology, where her principal field of study was International Economic and Political Relations.

In 2005, she was certified as a Statutory Auditor. Ms Belina-Prażmowska developed her professional career working at Deloitte Audyt Sp. z o.o., where she advanced from the position of assistant to manager. She then became Finance Director at Clear Edge Polska Sp. z o.o. and Thunderbird Resort Poland Sp. z o.o. (an investment fund).

She has been associated with Pelion company since 2009. She co-organized the subsidiary of Pelion S.A., Business Support Solution S.A. and in 2010 - 2013 performed there the Vice President and then the President of the Management Board position.

From January 2014, she has occupied in Pelion S.A. a position of Vice-President of the Management Board responsible at first for Development and Investor Relations. At present her field of activity is Business Development and Expansion of Innovative Projects implemented by the company. She is the expert of innovative projects and start’ups and participant in many conferences dedicated this theme.

As the member of Pelion Management Board Ms Belina - Prażmowska is in charge of supervising strategic areas and start’ups projects. She holds the positions in Supervisory Boards of: Polska Grupa Farmaceutyczna S.A., DOZ S.A., Business Support Solution S.A., Intelligent Logistic Solutions Sp. z o.o. and Dimedic Polska, UAB Dimedic Baltic, Animal Care S.A..

She also is a member of Management Board of UAB – the Lithuanian subsidiary of Pelion S.A., takes a position of Non- Executive Director of CEPD N.V. associated with Pelion Group and a member of the Review Commission of the „Marathon Dbam o Zdrowie” Association.

Karine Poindessault

Mrs. Karine Poindessault graduated from the University of Rennes, France where she completed her Master’s Degree in business and corporate law in 1995.

She did a one year Erasmus program at the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands, and is holder of a Master 2 “Law, Economics and Project Management with Eastern European Countries”, from the University of Aix-Marseille III, France. She has completed a number of courses and training programs in company law under Dutch law.

Mrs. Karine Poindessault has more than 25 years of experience in the Netherlands as in-house corporate lawyer, and worked for the Larmag Group, New Amsterdam Cititrust B.V. and EQT/CBTJ Financial Services B.V..

Mrs. Karine Poindessault joined CEPD N.V. and set-up the office of the company in 2011. She has been responsible for the operations in Amsterdam since then, as well as for inter-alia the company’s corporate governance.

She speaks French, Dutch and English fluently and has worked in the Spanish language.

Rūta Bagdonavičienė

Rūta Bagdonavičienė graduated from Vytautas Magnus University with a Master's degree in Economics in 1999. In 2020, she completed her Executive MBA at ISM University, where she deepened her leadership knowledge and skills. In 2010, Rūta also studied Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Business at the Swedish Institute.

Rūta Bagdonavičienė has more than 20 years of managerial experience in the pharmaceutical sector. She took CEO position in CEPD NV Lithuanian holding company Nacionalinė farmacijos grupė UAB from 2020. She is also the CEO of other companies in the Group: the Lithuanian retail pharmacy chain Gintarinė vaistinė since 2013 and wholesale company Limedika UAB from 2020. Besides Lithuanian operations, Rūta is a Board memberf of Admenta Sweden AB.

Rūta bagdonavičienė is active not only in business field, but also in social and educational activities giving lectures in conferences and business forums.

Rūta Bagdonavičienė is also a board member of the Lithuanian Pharmacy Association since 2013 and the National Medicines Verification Organisation since 2017.

In 2020 Rūta Bagdonavičienė was elected as Business Woman of the Year in Lithuania.

Khai Tan

Mr Khai Tan completed his Bachelor and Masters degree in business administration from Nyenrode Business University, the Netherlands, .

He has more than 35 years of international managerial experience in finance and the financial services sector. He has extensive experience in sales, M&A, finance and in developing products and markets in Brazil, the Philippines and Central Europe.

Mr Tan was a partner and senior partner at Bridgepoint (2007-2018), general manager for Poland at Advent International (2003-2007), treasurer and CFO at Eastbridge Group (1998-2003) and held several positions at ING Bank in the Netherlands, Brazil, Poland and the Philippines (1987-1998). 

He served as a chairperson and non-executive board member in a number of companies, latterly in Smyk, the largest children retailer in Central Europe. He was an investment committee member and chairperson in the Polish state investment fund (PFR, 2013-2022) and president of the Polish Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (2011-2014).

Mr Tan is currently privately investing in early stage businesses, among others through active involvement in Great Stuff Ventures and Expeditions, a Polish deep tech fund. 

CEPD structure

  • CEPD is an international holding company responsible for development of the retail pharmaceutical distribution network in Europe.
  • Each countrywide retail chain is operated by a designated business entity.
  • CEPD purchased LloydsApotek in 2021, as a part of the company’s strategy aiming at developing a modern chain of pharmacies in Europe.
  • CEPD.TECH Sp. z o.o., a Polish company dedicated to digital solutions and e-commerce business.
  • PHAREA LAB B.V. a Dutch company dedicated to the development of own brand products.
cepd
Poland
United Kingdom
DOZ UK Ltd.
Lithuania
NFG UAB
Sweden
ADMENTA
SWEDEN AB
Our brands

CEPD History

2008

Establishment of CEPD NV and acquisition of DOZ S.A., DOZ UK Ltd and UAB NFG (50%).

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2010

Acquisition of 100% participation of UAB NFG

2015

Diversification with acquisition of Natura Sp z. o.o.

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2018

Anniversary celebration of CEPD”s 10th Anniversary with the participation of President Lech Walesa

2021

Expansion with acquisition of Admenta Sweden AB

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