Sanofi has announced that its current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Olivier Brandicourt plans to retire, effective September 1, 2019, and has named Paul Hudson, most recently head of Novartis Pharmaceuticals, as Sanofi’s new CEO. With that move, Novartis has named Marie-France Tshudin, formerly President of Advanced Accelerator Applications, a Novartis company, as President of Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

Hudson has been working with major pharmaceutical companies for 28 years in various management positions, including at Astra Zeneca, Novartis and Schering Plough, with experience working in Japan and Europe.

Tshudin has been the President of Advanced Accelerator Applications, a Novartis company, since January 2017. Novartis acquired the company, which specializes in radiopharmaceuticals, for $3.8 billion in 2018. She will report to Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis, and will immediately join the Executive Committee.

Tshudin has more than 25 years of multi-national experience in the pharmaceuticals and biotech industry. Before Novartis, Tshudin spent 10 years at Celgene in leadership and management positions and led the company’s Hematology and Oncology business for Europe, Middle East and Africa from 2014 to 2016.

For an analysis of the CEO changes at Sanofi, see related story, “Executive Changes: What is Ahead for Sanofi’s New CEO.”

Source: Novartis, Sanofi