The Board of Directors of Aventis Pharma Limited at its meeting held on November 27, 2003, appointed Alexandre de Carvalho as the managing director of the Company with effect from December 1, 2003.

de Carvalho succeeds Ramesh Subrahmanian who resigned as managing director with effect from August 31, 2003 consequent on his taking over a position with the Aventis Group in U.S.A.

Prior to this assignment, de Carvalho was the general manager for Aventis in French speaking Africa from 1998.

de Carvalho began his career within the Aventis Group in 1983 and since he held various positions in Controlling, Sales, Marketing and Strategic Planning in Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, Brazil and the U.S.A.