Sanofi reshuffles top execs
Sanofi-Aventis has appointed Jean-Pierre Lehner, MD, as chief medical officer (CMO); Laurence Debroux as chief strategic officer (CSO); and named Elias Zerhouni, MD, as scientific advisor to its CEO Christopher A. Viehbacher and to its senior vice president (SVP) of research and development, Marc Cluzel.
The Paris-based company said it will draw upon Zerhouni's experience and knowledge gained over a career in both academia and most recently as the director of the United States National Institutes of Health. Zerhouni recently joined the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as a senior fellow. He will also chair Sanofi's scientific council.
Lehner was previously Sanofi's senior vice president of medical and regulatory affairs. He will report directly to Cluzel in the position, and the divisions of pharmacovigilance and regulatory affairs will report to the CMO. Lehner will also chair the internal Benefit/Risk Assessment Committee created in 2008, which has direct accountability for its conclusions to the CEO. After spending four years as Chef de Clinique, assistant of Paris Hospitals department of cardiology at Hôpital Bichat in Paris, Lehner joined Roussel Laboratories in 1981 as medical director (1981-1986), then he was named medical director of Roussel-Uclaf (1986-1992). He was senior director of clinical investigations of Sanofi Recherche (1992-1996), scientific senior director of Sanofi Winthrop (1996-2002), VP of medical affairs Europe at Sanofi (2003-2005).
As CSO, Debroux, previously senior vice president at Sanofi, will cover the company's business development and acquisition activities as well as corporate planning, financial and economic evaluation of internal and external projects, and strategic intelligence. Sanofi said that in light of the implementation of its development strategy, it created the position of CSO at the executive committee level. Debroux is appointed to this position and will report to Viehbacher. Previously senior vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) at Sanofi, she will keep those positions to ensure an orderly transition pending the imminent appointment of a new CFO, the company said. She began her career with Merrill Lynch in London, and then worked in the finance department of the Elf Aquitaine Group from 1993 to 1996. She joined Sanofi as corporate treasurer in 1996, and was appointed head of financing/treasury in 1997. From 2000 to 2004, she served as head of strategic planning at Sanofi, before becoming deputy CFO.
The Paris-based company said it will draw upon Zerhouni's experience and knowledge gained over a career in both academia and most recently as the director of the United States National Institutes of Health. Zerhouni recently joined the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as a senior fellow. He will also chair Sanofi's scientific council.
Lehner was previously Sanofi's senior vice president of medical and regulatory affairs. He will report directly to Cluzel in the position, and the divisions of pharmacovigilance and regulatory affairs will report to the CMO. Lehner will also chair the internal Benefit/Risk Assessment Committee created in 2008, which has direct accountability for its conclusions to the CEO. After spending four years as Chef de Clinique, assistant of Paris Hospitals department of cardiology at Hôpital Bichat in Paris, Lehner joined Roussel Laboratories in 1981 as medical director (1981-1986), then he was named medical director of Roussel-Uclaf (1986-1992). He was senior director of clinical investigations of Sanofi Recherche (1992-1996), scientific senior director of Sanofi Winthrop (1996-2002), VP of medical affairs Europe at Sanofi (2003-2005).
As CSO, Debroux, previously senior vice president at Sanofi, will cover the company's business development and acquisition activities as well as corporate planning, financial and economic evaluation of internal and external projects, and strategic intelligence. Sanofi said that in light of the implementation of its development strategy, it created the position of CSO at the executive committee level. Debroux is appointed to this position and will report to Viehbacher. Previously senior vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) at Sanofi, she will keep those positions to ensure an orderly transition pending the imminent appointment of a new CFO, the company said. She began her career with Merrill Lynch in London, and then worked in the finance department of the Elf Aquitaine Group from 1993 to 1996. She joined Sanofi as corporate treasurer in 1996, and was appointed head of financing/treasury in 1997. From 2000 to 2004, she served as head of strategic planning at Sanofi, before becoming deputy CFO.