In just over a decade, the Sabin Group of diagnostic medicine has achieved grow almost six times without losing the corporate control. Under the leadership of Lídia Abdalla, who joined the company as a trainee in 1999 and assumed the presidency in 2014, the group went from a turnover of R$300 million to almost R$2 billion, expanding its operations to 15 federative units and more than 360 service units.
Today, Sabin occupies third place among the largest diagnostic medicine groups in Brazil. But, according to the CEO, the most important movement was not just growing. It was about growing while maintaining culture, financial discipline and an expansion strategy that mixes acquisitions with organic growth.
“I joined as a trainee. I was new, recently graduated. And I started working in the technical area. As the company grew, I grew along with it”, he recalled during an interview with From Zero to Top.
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The executive’s trajectory blends with the company’s own evolution. Graduated in biochemical pharmacy, she joined the laboratory in the late 90s and held technical and leadership positions until becoming the first professional CEO in the company’s history.
Sabin was created by two entrepreneurial biomedical companies just over 40 years ago, in Brasília, and today it has spread across 14 states plus the Federal District, 362 service units, in 78 cities, and 7,400 employees.
32 acquisitions
Sabin’s growth gained speed in 2010, when the group decided to leave the Federal District and begin its national expansion. Since then, 32 acquisitions have been made in different regions of the country.
According to Lídia, the process required more than capital. It required the creation of its own model of cultural integration.
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“The biggest challenge for a company is people. Because everything else, you put it into a schedule. People, people, you don’t turn the key overnight”, he stated.
The group’s strategy was to maintain a single identity across all operations. Same computerized system, same brand and same customer experience, regardless of the city.
“Any Sabin unit you enter, you will have the same perception as if you entered one of our units in Manaus, Brasília, Campinas”, said the executive.
At the same time, the group invested in local leaders to preserve regional characteristics and accelerate cultural adaptation.
“Our managers from all these regions, the vast majority of them are from the region. Because I’m not the one in Brasília who will understand the culture of Manaus or Salvador”, he explained.
Own expansion model
Despite being constantly sought after by investors and funds, Sabin chose to maintain a conservative private equity structure. The CEO states that the group grew with financial discipline and low leverage.
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“The project for the coming years is to continue growing as we have done so far. A company that generates cash, a company with a lot of financial discipline”, he stated.
Despite this, the company maintains a governance structure prepared for possible strategic moves in the future.
“At any moment it is prepared for any strategic movement that is a great opportunity,” he said.
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In addition to clinical analysis, the group has accelerated its diversification in recent years with areas such as vaccination, imaging diagnosis, genetics, drug infusion and digital health.
“Brazil is very big and we still have a lot of opportunity to grow”, summarized the CEO.
To find out more details about the creation and business model of Grupo Sabin, see the full episode on . The program is available in its podcast version on the main streaming platforms such as , , , and
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About From Zero to Top
The Do Zero ao Topo podcast is a production of InfoMoney and brings, every week, the stories of prominent women and men in the Brazilian market to tell their story, sharing the biggest challenges faced along the way and the main strategies used in building the business.
