Sanofi appoints Pascale Witz and Peter Guenter

Sanofi is to split its commercial organisation into two new units when its outgoing president of global operations Hanspeter Spek stands down.

Spek will retire on July 1, 2013, and this will be the cue for Sanofi to replace the unit he currently leads with global commercial operations, and global divisions and strategic commercial development.

The French pharma company will promote Peter Guenter, currently its senior vice president for Europe, to executive vice president of global commercial operations.

Guenter's new role will see him focus on “in-market execution” across North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Japan and the Pacific and Intercontinental regions.

Meanwhile, Sanofi has recruited Pascale Witz, who is currently president and chief executive officer of Medical Diagnostics at GE Healthcare, to be executive vice president, global divisions and strategic commercial development.

This will hand her responsibility for setting the strategic direction and guiding product development of the group's key businesses, with direct oversight for the diabetes, oncology and pharmaceutical customer solution divisions, as well as a new structure for consumer healthcare.

Christopher Viehbacher, Sanofi's chief executive officer, said: “The appointment of these two new leaders will enable us to strengthen our growth platforms and 

ensure the success of our new products to deliver a sustainable future for our company.

“Peter is a proven leader with a strong track record in achieving ambitious commercial objectives. His most recent experience in Europe has prepared him well for driving growth in the rapidly evolving healthcare environment. Pascale's diversified experience in healthcare and acute commercial focus will be a great addition to Sanofi.”

Both Guenter and Witz will also join the company's executive committee, sitting alongside Viehbacher.