Global healthcare company Sanofi is creating two new units, global commercial operations and global divisions and strategic commercial development, to replace the former global operations unit. Peter Guenter, currently senior vice president, Europe, will be appointed executive vice president of global commercial operations. Pascale Witz, currently president and CEO of medical diagnostics at GE Healthcare, will join Sanofi as executive vice president of global divisions and strategic commercial development. Both Guenter and Witz will join the executive committee.

As executive vice president of global commercial operations, Guenter will focus on in-market execution across the diverse regions of North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Japan and Pacific and Intercontinental. He brings more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Peter joined the Group in 1995 and held various senior positions in Belgium, France, Europe and global marketing, including  general manager, Belgium; vice president for Eastern Europe; vice president, Northern Europe; general manager of commercial operations for Germany; head of multi-country organization for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Guenter started his career as a sales representative for SmithKline in 1986, and held a number of positions in marketing in Ciba Geigy and Parke Davis, before joining Sanofi in 1995 as business unit director CNS/urology in the Belgian affiliate.

As executive vice president of global divisions and strategic commercial development, Witz will be responsible for setting the strategic direction and guiding product development of the Group key businesses. She started her career in a research lab before moving to marketing at Becton Dickinson France in 1991. She joined GE Healthcare in 1996 as product manager for the vascular business in France. Over the years, Witz rose up through the company and developed a successful international career within GE in Europe, Africa, Middle East and the U.S. Prior to taking up the position of president and CEO of the medical diagnostics business, she was vice president and general manager for the global interventional business for France and U.S.

Throughout her career within GE, Witz headed up a number of businesses: she was general manager of computed tomography; vice president of sales and marketing services; general manager of nuclear medicine and PET; vice president of  IT and vice president of Six Sigma and quality.