Viehbacher leaves GSK for Sanofi
pharmafile | September 10, 2008 | News story | Sales and Marketing | GSK, Sanofi
Chris Viehbacher is set to leave GlaxoSmithKline for a lead role at Sanofi-Aventis after last year losing out to Andrew Witty in the battle for GSK's top job.
Viehbacher has stepped down from GSK's board with immediate effect, and will fully relinquish his role as the company's president of North American Pharmaceuticals in early December.
He will then assume a top executive position at Sanofi-Aventis, according to The Financial Times, and the news has shocked some leaders at the French group.
The mooted appointment of the German-Canadian Viehbacher represents a new direction for Sanofi, which has tended to look internally and to its French heritage when promoting top executives.
The Financial Times also suggested that the appointment could cause a power struggle among the existing company leadership, and threaten the role of Gerard Le Fur.
Le Fur was made chief executive at the start of 2007 when the role was split from that of chairman, held by Jean-Francois Dehecq – a dynamic character renowned for building the company up from scratch.
GSK did not acknowledge where Viehbacher was going, only that he was to pursue 'another opportunity'.
Chief executive Andrew Witty said: "I would like to thank Chris for his significant contribution to GSK, he is one of the most talented and respected executives in this industry and we wish him well in his future endeavours."
Witty was appointed to the top job, following an 18-month selection contest against Viehbacher and David Stout.
After missing out on the job Viehbacher was subsequently appointed to GSK's board of directors in January 2008 and offered a hefty retention package to stay with the company.
His departure will now follow that of David Stout who left GSK back in February to go into partial retirement.
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