Sanofi Selects New CEO

Olivier Brandicourt has been appointed chief executive officer of Sanofi, effective April 2. Dr. Brandicourt succeeds Chris Viehbacher who was fired last October amidst whistleblower lawsuit claims that the company was involved in a kickback scheme directed through consultants for diabetes drug sales in the U.S.
 
Olivier Brandicourt has 28 years of global experience in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently as chairman of the board of management of Bayer HealthCare AG and member of the executive council at Bayer AG. Previously, he held positions of increasing responsibility at global pharmaceutical groups, including Parke-Davis/Warner-Lambert and Pfizer. Dr. Brandicourt also served as a member of Pfizer’s global executive leadership team from 2010 to 2013. 
 
Serge Weinberg, chairman of the board of directors, Sanofi said, “Sanofi undertook a rigorous selection process to identify the right person to lead Sanofi forward at an important time for our company. I am very pleased that Olivier Brandicourt will be the next chief executive officer of Sanofi. Olivier Brandicourt’s strong experience combined with his international profile, deep knowledge of U.S. and emerging healthcare markets, and his capability to unite teams will provide new dynamism to Sanofi’s strategy of diversification and innovation.”