New biopharma heads for Merck in North America and China
pharmafile | January 27, 2016 | Appointment | Manufacturing and Production, Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | Gary Zieziula, Mark Horn, Merck
Merck has made two appointments in its biopharma business: Gary Zieziula will lead Merck’s biopharma business in North America and Marc Horn will take the helm of the biopharma business in China.
Gary Zieziula has been appointed president and managing director of the biopharma business in the US and Canada, based in Rockland, Massachusetts with immediate effect. Zieziula’s predecessor, Paris Panayiotopoulos, accepted a new position outside of Merck at the end of last year.
In his role, he will be responsible for all areas of the company’s business including driving overall strategic direction and maximising growth across the region.
Zieziula joined Merck in 2014 as chief commercial officer in the US, having spent more than 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry, including senior level positions at MSD, Bristol Myers-Squibb, Roche and Amag Pharmaceuticals.
“As we look to grow our biopharma business in North America, including our progress in oncology and immuno-oncology, Gary’s vision, experience and customer-centric approach are critical to lead the company forward,” says Simon Sturge, chief operating officer of the healthcare business of Merck – whom Zieziula will report to.
In the first nine months of 2015 net sales of Merck in North America amounted to €1.9 billion, or 20% of group sales. Healthcare sales in this region totalled €1.1 billion in the first nine months of 2015; two-thirds of total sales in the region.
Meanwhile Marc Horn will head the biopharma business of Merck in China from April 1, as managing director, based in Beijing. He is currently the regional chief financial officer of Merck, responsible for China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, for the three business sectors – healthcare, life science and performance materials.
Horn has more than 16 years of management experience in finance in the pharmaceuticals and chemicals industry, including positions at Bayer and Lanxess in Germany, China and Singapore.
Allan Gabor, Marc Horn’s predecessor, has been promoted to president of the Asian-Pacific region for Merck’s biopharma business. In his new position, Horn will report to Gabor.
China is of importance to Merck currently and in future. The company is building a €80 million pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in the greater Shanghai region, which which will focus on bulk production and packaging of glucophage, concor and Euthyrox. Construction is scheduled to be complete in 2016, with commercial production starting in 2017.
Commercially, Merck registered an organic increase of 5.1%, sales in the Asia-Pacific region, amounting to €3.1 billion in the months January to September 2015. Representing a share of 33% of Group net sales, Asia-Pacific is the Group’s top-selling region. Healthcare sales from January to September 2015 in the Asia-Pacific region reached around €1 billion, representing one-third of group sales in this region.
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