Cipla appoints Novartis' Subhanu Saxena as new CEO

Mumbai-based generic pharmaceuticals producer Cipla today said it had appointed Subhanu Saxena as its chief executive officer,  reporting to the chairman and the board of directors, with effect from 1 February 2013.

Saxena has over 25 years of experience and has previously worked  with Citicorp, The Boston Consulting Group, and PepsiCo, across Europe, North America, Africa and Asia
 
Prior to being appointed by Cipla, he led the global product strategy and commercialisation functions at Novartis Pharma AG and was a part of drug giant's 'global pharma executive committee, with responsibility for marketing, sales, global medical affairs and health economics.

Saxena has a graduate degree in engineering from Oxford University and an MBA from INSEAD, France.
 
The Cipla board sub-committee entrusted with the search process was particularly impressed with Saxena's work experience in diverse industries in non-pharma as well as pharma sectors in diverse geographies, in successfully managing large and complex profit businesses, and the culture fit with Cipla and its core values.

Prior to it, he was CEO and country president of Novartis Pharma UK, where led a business turnaround resulting in the company's pharmaceuticals business becoming one of the fastest growing in the UK's pharma sector.

In the last one year, Cipla has staffed senior executives in some of its key business functions, verticals and geographies, including key corporate and business heads in markets such as Europe and Australia, and corporate functions such as HR, IT, Legal and Strategy.

Subhanu will report to the Chairman and the Board of Directors of the company.