Basel, Switzerland - April 15, 2009, Basel, Switzerland - Roche announced the successful start of the integration and the changes in Genentech’s leadership, effective May 1.
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Arthur D. Levinson, currently Genentech Chairman and CEO, will chair Genentech’s new Board of Directors and steer the integration of Genentech and Roche on a strategic level. The board will include Roche executives as well as external members. Arthur Levinson also will serve as an advisor to Genentech’s Research and Early Development center, and will join the Scientific Resource Board (SRB), Genentech’s external advisory group. In addition, the Board of Roche Holding Ltd will propose Arthur Levinson as a member of the Board of Roche Holding Ltd at the next Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in 2010.
Susan Desmond-Hellmann, currently President Genentech Product Development, will continue to support the integration planning and the handover of her current responsibilities until mid year. Thereafter she will contribute to Genentech in an advisory role. In addition, Susan Desmond- Hellmann will also join the Genentech SRB.
As announced earlier, Genentech’s Research and Early Development will operate as an independent center within the Roche Group. Richard Scheller, currently EVP Genentech Research, will lead this center and report directly to Group CEO Severin Schwan. In his extended role as EVP Research and Early Development Genentech, Richard Scheller is appointed to the Enlarged Roche Corporate Executive Committee with immediate effect.
Marc Tessier-Lavigne, currently EVP Genentech Research Drug Discovery, will continue reporting to Richard Scheller and succeed him as EVP Research. At the same time Marc Tessier-Lavigne is appointed as Genentech’s Chief Scientific Officer.
Pascal Soriot will be appointed as CEO Genentech. In his new role he will lead all Pharma activities in the US and report directly to Group CEO Severin Schwan. In addition, the Board of Directors of Roche Holding has appointed Pascal Soriot as a member of the Corporate Executive Committee with immediate effect. Until now, Pascal Soriot was a member of the Enlarged Corporate Executive Committee and responsible for Commercial Operations of the Pharma division. For an interim period this function will additionally be led directly by William M. Burns, CEO Roche Pharmaceuticals.
George Abercrombie, CEO and President of Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., has agreed to support the integration through the end of 2009. In this role he will assist Pascal Soriot with the transition of the US Commercial Headquarters from Nutley to South San Francisco. A site head for the Research and Development center in Nutley will be announced in due course.
David A. Ebersman, currently EVP and Chief Financial Officer, and Steve Juelsgaard, EVP Genentech Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer, will be leaving Genentech. Their responsibilities will be organized as follows: Steve Krognes, currently Head of Roche Corporate Business Development, will be appointed as CFO Genentech and SVP Regional Head Finance and IT Pharma North America; Rick Kentz, currently VP Secretary and Legal Affairs Roche Pharma North America, will be appointed SVP Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer for the combined organization with responsibilities for Legal and Corporate Services; Steve Grossmann, currently VP Human Resources Roche Pharma North America, will be appointed as SVP Regional Head HR Pharma North America for the combined organization; Denise Smith-Hams, currently VP Genentech Human Resources, will be promoted to SVP Genentech Human Resources; Christine Castro, VP Corporate Relations Genentech, will be appointed SVP Regional Head Public Relations Pharma North America.
Ian Clark, currently EVP Commercial Operations Genentech, will take over responsibility as EVP Global Marketing and Chief Marketing Officer of the Roche Pharma division. He will be located in South San Francisco and report to Pascal Soriot.
Pat Yang will continue as EVP Technical Operations Genentech and functionally report to Jan van Koeveringe, Head Global Technical Operations Pharma, and locally to Pascal Soriot. ■