Paul Fonteyne, president and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim U.S. in Ridgefield, will retire from the company on Dec. 31.
Wolfgang Baiker, senior vice president, Human Pharma Supply and Global Quality, and head of the biopharma business unit, has been appointed to succeed him, effective March 1.
Baiker joined Boehringer Ingelheim in 1989 as section head for clinical development in Biberach, Germany. Since then, he has served in a number of senior leadership roles, including head of international project management, head of global development and member of the board of managing directors responsible for corporate board division biopharmaceuticals and operations. Baiker”™s Boehringer duties have included positions both in Ridgefield and in Germany, where its global headquarters are located.
Fonteyne will spend the remainder of the year leading the pharmaceutical company”™s U.S. animal health business, where he will continue to oversee the integration and normalizing of operations following the acquisition of Merial from Sanofi last year. He will also remain Chairman of the Boehringer Ingelheim USA Board.
During his tenure at Boehringer Ingelheim, Fonteyne oversaw a substantial increase in top line sales and the U.S. launch of Spiriva, the company”™s bestselling product to date. Prior to becoming president and CEO of the U.S. operations in 2012, he spent three years as head of corporate marketing in Ingelheim, Germany where he successfully launched Pradaxa and Tradjenta while continuing to grow the human pharmaceuticals portfolio globally.
“Our industry and the U.S. market, in particular, is developing and changing at an incredible pace,” Fonteyne said. “Wolfgang has a unique ability to help the company anticipate and navigate this dynamic landscape. His strong track record in leading highly-successful teams makes him the perfect choice to continue the strong legacy of Boehringer Ingelheim in the United States.”
