Belén Garijo appointed as Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sanofi
The former Merck President and CEO brings experience transforming a global pharma group
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Sanofi's Mixed General Meeting of Shareholders convened on April 29, 2026, under the chairmanship of Frédéric Oudéa. All resolutions were approved with a high level of shareholder support, in particular the appointment of Belén Garijo as a board member. In line with the Board’s decision of February 11, Belén Garijo will assume her duties as Chief Executive Officer on May 1, 2026.
Frédéric Oudéa, Chairman of the Board of Directors, stated: “Belén Garijo possesses a rare combination of scientific expertise and operational leadership, developed at the highest level in demanding global environments. A physician by training, she has built a strong track record at the intersection of R&D, strategy, and business model transformation. The Board of Directors has chosen her to lead Sanofi in its next phase of development, with a clear priority: strengthen execution discipline, refine capital allocation, and more consistently translate the quality of our science into sustainable performance. She also has the benefit of many successful years at Sanofi during her career. In an increasingly demanding environment, her approach — grounded in clarity of choices and consistency of implementation — will be essential to accelerate the company's transformation and create long-term value for patients, our shareholders, our employees and all our other stakeholders.”
The General Meeting approved the social and consolidated accounts for fiscal year 2025 and decided on the distribution of an ordinary annual dividend of €4.12 per share. Dividend payment will be made on May 7, 2026.
The General Meeting also approved the renewal of board mandates for Christophe Babule and Jean-Paul Kress. The Board is delighted to welcome Christel Heydemann, CEO of Orange, as an independent board member. She will bring her experience as top leader and her knowledge of Digital and AI technologies.
The Board of Directors now comprises 16 members, including two employee representatives. It has an independence rate of 79%, includes 57% women and 8 board members of foreign nationality, representing 50%.
Following the departure of Paul Hudson and Patrick Kron, and on the proposal of the Appointments, Governance and CSR Committee, the Board of Directors appointed Frédéric Oudéa as Chairman of the Appointments, Governance and CSR Committee. Furthermore, the Board of Directors appointed Belén Garijo as a member of the Strategic Committee, and Christel Heydemann as a member of the Appointments, Governance and CSR Committee and the Compensation Committee.
Biography of Belén Garijo
Chief Executive Officer and President of Merck for five years, Belén Garijo held various positions within the company since joining in 2011. She led a profound transformation of the Healthcare business, marked by its turnaround and characterized by portfolio repositioning, R&D reorganization, and commercial model realignment. This strategic shift enabled Merck to establish itself as a global player in oncology and immunology. Previously, she served as Senior Vice President of Global Operations Europe at Sanofi-Aventis, where she led the integration of Genzyme following its acquisition. She has also held several leadership positions in R&D and commercial development at various companies at the forefront of the healthcare sector. Belén Garijo is a physician specializing in clinical pharmacology. She began her career as a practicing physician at La Paz Hospital in Madrid.
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