French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi has announced a surprise leadership change, appointing Belén Garijo as its new CEO effective April 29, 2026. According to the company's statement released on February 12, 2026, the Board of Directors decided not to renew the Director mandate of incumbent Paul Hudson, with his last day as CEO scheduled for February 17, 2026. The company expressed gratitude for Hudson's contributions over the past six years, stating he played a valuable role in the transformation and development of the Group. The leadership change has been met with mixed market reactions, with Sanofi shares experiencing volatility following the announcement.
During the transition period, Olivier Charmeil, Executive Vice President and member of the Executive Committee since 2011, will assume the role of Interim CEO. As reported by Sanofi, Garijo will take charge from April 29, 2026, coinciding with the end of the Group's Annual General Meeting. The company will propose her appointment as a director and amend the articles of association to raise the CEO age limit during this meeting.
Belén Garijo, born in Almansa, Spain on July 31, 1960, brings extensive pharmaceutical industry experience to her new role. According to the company statement, she began her career as a practicing physician at Madrid's La Paz Hospital for six years before joining Abbott's Research and Development department. During her previous tenure with Sanofi, she served as Vice President of Pharmaceutical Operations for Europe and Canada and was a member of Sanofi's Executive Committee for 15 years. She also led the integration of Genzyme during its acquisition and operated across European countries and the US.
As reported by Sanofi, the company expects Garijo to bring increased rigor to the implementation of Sanofi's strategy and accelerate preparation for the Group's future. Her priority will focus on strengthening productivity, governance, and innovation capacity of Research & Development. Chairman of the Board of Directors Frédéric Oudéa praised her recognition as a well-known leader in the industry with undisputable reputation, noting her deep understanding of Sanofi where she achieved many successes during her previous 15-year tenure. Since 2022, Garijo has been included on Fortune and Forbes' international annual lists of Most Powerful Women.
According to Bloomberg reports, Hudson has faced pressure to address sales challenges from a looming patent loss in the 2030s for Sanofi's top-selling asthma and skin disease drug Dupixent. As reported by Reuters, efforts to replace sales from this patent loss have not succeeded due to underwhelming trial updates last year. The leadership change comes as Sanofi positions itself as an R&D-driven, AI-powered biopharma company applying deep understanding of the immune system to invent medicines and vaccines for millions of people worldwide. The market reaction to the CEO transition reflects investor concerns about the company's ability to navigate these challenges and execute its strategic refocus.
