Sanofi is shaking up a pair of its global business units, including hiring a Bayer executive to run a new business out of the Bridgewater offices.
The French pharmaceutical company said in a news release that it is creating a new Primary Care business unit that will combine the products of its current Diabetes and Cardiovascular unit with Established Products, currently part of the General Medicines & Emerging Markets unit.
The new unit, which will focus on mature markets, will be led by Dieter Weinard, who was named an executive vice president, effective Nov. 1. Weinard, who had been head of Bayer AG’s Pharmaceuticals Division, will report to CEO Olivier Brandicourt, based out of Bridgewater.
“Dieter is a season professional with significant experience in the pharmaceutical sector, having successfully launched and marketed some of the most innovative medicines in the last few years,” Brandicourt said in a prepared statement. “He has a proven track record in change management and helping challenged businesses reach their full potential.”
Stefan Oelrich, current head of the Diabetes and Cardiovascular unit, is essentially switching places with Weinard, Sanofi said, leaving the company to become Bayer’s head of Pharmaceuticals.
“We would like to thank Dieter Weinand for his great commitment and his contribution to the very successful development of our Pharmaceuticals business in recent years,” Werner Wenning, chairman of the Bayer supervisory board, said in a separate release. “At the same time, we are pleased to welcome Stefan Oelrich, a proven expert with international experience who is very familiar with Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals business.”
Sanofi is also creating a new China & Emerging Markets business unit, to be led by Olivier Charmeil, current head of the General Medicines & Emerging Markets unit. This unit will focus on growth opportunities in emerging markets.
The company said it expects to launch the new units by the start of 2019. Its other business units, Sanofi Genzyme, Sanofi Pasteur and Consumer Healthcare, remain unchanged.
