Sanofi’s board of directors unanimously has appointed Olivier Brandicourt CEO.

Olivier Brandicourt has 28 years of global experience in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently as chairman of the board of management of Bayer HealthCare and member of the executive council of Bayer. Previously, Brandicourt held numerous positions of increasing responsibility within major global pharmaceutical groups such as Parke-Davis/Warner-Lambert and Pfizer. Brandicourt was a member of Pfizer's global executive leadership team from 2010-2013. 

A physician by training, Olivier Brandicourt's career includes several senior positions in Europe, Canada and the U.S. As the head of various healthcare divisions, he has a broad range of experience and knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry and has led the launch of numerous new medicines and the completion of strategic acquisitions and integrations.

Serge Weinberg, chairman of the board of directors, Sanofi, said, "Sanofi undertook a rigorous selection process to identify the right person to lead Sanofi forward at an important time for our company. I am very pleased that Olivier Brandicourt will be the next CEO of Sanofi. Olivier Brandicourt's strong experience combined with his international profile, deep knowledge of U.S. and emerging healthcare markets and his capability to unite teams will provide new dynamism to Sanofi's strategy of diversification and innovation."

In agreement with his former employer, Brandicourt will start April 2, 2015.