Sanofi announced the appointment of Alan Main as executive vice president consumer healthcare, effective October 1st, 2016. Main will be a member of the Executive Committee and lead a newly created consumer healthcare global business unit.
Main, who most recently served as global president, Bayer Medical Care, will be responsible for building and maintaining Sanofi's leading position in Consumer HealthCare (CHC). This includes the expected integration of Boehringer Ingelheim business into Sanofi, given that the combined business will have a wider portfolio of brands to serve Sanofi's consumers on a more global basis. With this deal, Sanofi is meeting one of the key strategic goals of its roadmap 2020, namely to become a leader in consumer healthcare and a leading diversified global human healthcare company. The closing of the transaction is expected by year-end 2016.
"Alan brings with him extensive experience in consumer health, and I am confident in his ability to shape the future of our Sanofi CHC business," said Olivier Brandicourt, chief executive officer, Sanofi. "Alan's deep knowledge of the non-prescription medicines market and his understanding of the targeted approach towards patients and customers will allow him to contribute significantly to the overall company strategy and make him a valuable addition to Sanofi and the Executive Committee."
Main, a British national from Scotland, has more than 30 years of marketing and general management experience in the consumer health and medical device fields, beginning with Stafford Miller/Block Drug (now part of GSK), before joining Merrell Dow (now Sanofi), then London Rubber Company. In 1992, he joined Roche consumer health and held increasingly senior roles namely in the UK, South Africa and Asia Pacific. Following Bayer's acquisition of the Roche Consumer Health in 2004, Main continued to hold key operational roles, including Region Head for Asia Pacific and Europe. In 2010 he transferred to the medical device business of Bayer as global president for Bayer Medical Care.
Main holds a BA in international marketing from Thames Polytechnic in London, and has completed various executive and leadership development programs at London, Harvard and Columbia Business Schools, as well as INSEAD (Asia).