Background: Appointment of Korea Sanofi CEO as New KRPIA Chairman

The Korea Research-based Pharmaceutical Industry Association (KRPIA) recently announced on the 23rd that Bae Kyung-eun, CEO of Sanofi-Aventis Korea, has been appointed as the 15th president at the recent board meeting.

The background is the new president of the Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association (Sanofi-Aventis Korea CEO)
[Photo by Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association]

Graduating from Seoul National University College of Pharmacy and earning a Master's degree in Global Management from Aalto University School of Business, the newly appointed president Bae has been recognized for his deep understanding of the pharmaceutical industry and domestic systems and policies, as well as outstanding leadership, having held various roles over a 30-year period since 1994, including head of business divisions at global pharmaceutical companies, Global Product Director for the U.S. region, head of oncology and specialty pharmaceuticals divisions, and CEO positions.

Currently serving as CEO of Sanofi-Aventis Korea, he has led the company for over 10 years, spearheading the integration of the vaccine division Sanofi Pasteur and the specialty care division Sanofi Genzyme into a single brand. Prior to his roles as CEO of Sanofi-Aventis Korea and Genzyme Korea, he worked at Novartis Korea and Novartis U.S. branch, and since September 2022, he has also served as the chair of the Health and Medical Committee of the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea.

Additionally, after being elected as a KRPIA board member in September 2013, he has continuously contributed to the development of KRPIA since 2015 as a member of the vice presidents group, leveraging his extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry and insights into healthcare systems and policies.

President Bae stated, “We will continue industry-level efforts to ensure that domestic patients can receive the therapeutic benefits of innovative new drugs more quickly and broadly,” adding, “We will seek ways to collaborate with domestic companies, such as strengthening open innovation, and focus on close and active communication with the government.”

Along with the appointment of the new president Bae, KRPIA has reorganized its leadership by appointing vice presidents including Yoo Byung-jae, CEO of Novartis; Lee Hye-young, CEO of Korea BMS Pharmaceuticals; and Oh Dong-wook, CEO of Pfizer Korea. The association stated, “Through this organizational restructuring, we expect to contribute to the development of the domestic healthcare industry in harmony with the global market,” and added, “We will continue to demonstrate organic and strategic organizational capabilities to expand patient access to innovative new drugs and do our best as an important partner of our society.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.