Watson Pharmaceuticals has appointed its global generics management team, following the completion of the company’s €4.3bn acquisition of Actavis.
Heading up the team as president of global generics will be a former CEO of Actavis, Sigurdur Oli Olafsson (pictured right), who joined Watson in 2010 as executive vice president of global generics.
Watson’s US generic business will be led by Andrew Boyer, who was most recently senior vice president, sales and marketing. He joined Watson in 1998 as associate director of marketing in generics serving.
Watson’s Canada and Latin America business will be led by Jean-Guy Goulet, who joined Watson in 2011 as president, Canada and Mexico for Watson’s Canadian subsidiary Cobalt Pharmaceuticals. Prior to joining Watson, he was president and CEO of Ratiopharm Canada, a role he held since 2006.
Meanwhile, Watson’s European generics business will be led by Lars Ramneborn, who was previously vice president of strategy at Actavis, a position he held since March 2010. Ramneborn has more than 20 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry and joined Actavis from Zentiva, where he was vice president and a member of the board of directors since 2003.
Watson’s Asia and Middle East and Africa (MEA) generics business will be led by Hordur Thorhallsson, who was previously executive vice president of MEA and Asia Pacific sales for Actavis.
Watson’s Australian business will be led by Karen McTavish, who joined Watson this year to lead the company’s Australian business following the acquisition of Ascent Pharmaceuticals.
Watson’s global generics R&D function will be led by Hafrun Fridriksdottir. He most recently served as Actavis’ vice president of R&D, US, Europe and ROW, residing in the US.
Watson’s specialty pharmaceutical development function will be led by Stefan Sveinsson. A former Actavis man, Sveinsson will also lead a separate function that will focus on ‘critical technologies’ for driving Watson’s global generics and global brands business.
Finally, Wolter Kuizinga will lead Watson’s international business development function and Daniel Motto will lead Watson’s US business development function.
“Since the announcement of our intention to acquire Actavis in April 2012, we have been working to ensure that we have the management structure in place to capitalise on the commercial momentum of this combined organisation,” said Paul Bisaro, President and CEO of Watson.
“Led by Siggi Olafsson, president, global generics, we begin operations as one company, with a commercial team that recognies the extraordinary commercial expertise of senior leaders from both companies. We are structured to ensure that we immediately create value for customers and shareholders.”
The move creates the world’s third largest generic company and the newly-enlarged firm will next year re-brand under the Actavis name.