Dive Brief:
- Former Sanofi CEO Chris Viehbacher, who was forced out the company last fall, is joining PureTech, a Boston-based healthcare R&D firm, as a member of its Board of Directors.
- PureTech focuses on biotech and healthcare research projects that involve active collaboration with academia.
- According to a press release, PureTech has 12 independent pipeline companies in which PureTech owns majority interests.
Dive Insight:
When Chris Viehbacher was sacked as Sanofi CEO in October 2014 for various performance-related reasons, including failure to communicate, the focus was not on his achievements, but on his failures. However, Viehbacher comes to PureTech with a long list of successes behind him, including positive accomplishments at Sanofi, such as completing $30 billion worth of acquisitions during his six-year tenure (including the high-profile acquisition of Genzyme).
Outside of his work at Sanofi, Viehbacher has also co-chaired the CEO Roundtable on Neglected Diseases (with Bill Gates), acted as Chairman of the Board of PhRMA, and also been President of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations.
In addition to holding these highly regarded positions, Viehbacher has received several prestigious awards and has had a longstanding career in various aspects of the pharmaceutical industry. He comes to PureTech well prepared to lead.