Sanofi announced that the board of directors unanimously appointed Olivier Brandicourt as chief executive officer of the company.

Olivier Brandicourt has 28 years of global experience in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently as Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer HealthCare AG and member of the Executive Council of Bayer AG. Previously, Brandicourt held numerous positions of increasing responsibility within major global pharmaceutical groups, such as Parke-Davis/Warner-Lambert and Pfizer. Notably, Brandicourt served as 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 United States. As the head of various key healthcare divisions, he has a broad range of expertise 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 chief executive officer 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 take up his new duties on April 2, 2015.