Viatris Inc. announced that as it prepares to enter phase 2 of its previously announced strategic plan in 2024, Scott A. Smith has been appointed by its Board of Directors to lead the execution of that plan as Viatris' new CEO, effective April 1, 2023.
In the interim, current CEO Michael Goettler will be working closely with Smith to support a smooth transition and will then depart as CEO and as a member of the board.
Smith has been a member of the Viatris Board since December 2022 and is a deeply knowledgeable senior global biotechnology and pharmaceutical executive with more than 35 years of experience. As a former president and COO at Celgene Corporation, he rose up the ranks, including holding the roles of senior vice president and global head of immunology, as well as president of inflammation and immunology.
Most recently, he served as president of BioAtla, Inc., a publicly traded global biotechnology company focused on the development of conditionally active biologics (BAC) antibody therapeutics.
The Viatris Board believes that Smith is a seasoned builder who possesses vast global commercial and pharmaceutical expertise and a proven ability to build, grow and manage large complex organizations. He also has substantial experience in developing and executing regulatory, clinical, and business development strategies.
One of his many achievements during his 10-year career at Celgene was to build and oversee the clinical development, registration, launch and global commercial success of the blockbuster drug Otezla.
Robert J. Coury, executive chairman of Viatris said, "As we now prepare to enter intophase 2 of our evolution for 2024 and beyond, we believe Scott Smith is the absolute right leader to guide Viatris into a period of renewed growth and leadership in our sector. The Board sees his strong commercial and strategic expertise being complemented by his experience in organically building product franchises, business development and partnering activities. I have personally been extremely impressed with his overall approach to leadership, deep industry knowledge and forward-looking business mindset. The Board believes that the foundation is now firmly in place for phase 2 of the company's strategic plan, including the recent divestiture of our biologics business to Biocon Biologics as well as our other upcoming planned divestitures, and the recent establishment of the Viatris Eye Care Division. This positions Scott well to expand upon and grow Viatris' success in the years ahead."
Smith said, "It is an incredibly exciting time to become Viatris' CEO. I watched closely in November as the company laid out the next important steps in its well-crafted strategic plan, including its commitment to its future capital allocation priorities, which I totally support. Since then, and particularly after joining the board and seeing their incredible level of engagement, I have been extremely impressed by everyone that I have met during this process and have also been inspired by all that has been accomplished in such a short period of time. Just as importantly, I am also motivated by the Company's strong financial profile and financial flexibility, including one of the strongest balance sheets in the sector. I can see many additional opportunities and options for Viatris to accelerate its growth in the coming years."
Smith continued, "I believe that my background in franchise building, business development and biotech, coupled with the great platform we have to work from, can accelerate Viatris' momentum and help deliver on its full value and potential. I look forward to collaborating with Michael during this transition and am very excited about the prospect of working together with the board, Rajiv Malik, Sanjeev Narula, the entire management team, and especially the company's 37,000 employees around the world on the execution ahead."
Coury added, "The Board of Directors and I would like to personally thank Michael Goettler for his service and dedication during the critical time of the creation of Viatris and the establishment and ongoing execution of our Phase 1 strategy. There is a lot that has been accomplished and we are deeply grateful for the important part he played in the Company's success to date. We wish him nothing but the best as he moves forward."
Goettler stated, "It has been my sincere honor to serve as Viatris' first CEO. Having had the opportunity to help create a new kind of global healthcare company has been an experience that I will never forget and always value. I am incredibly proud of our eight consecutive quarters of successful performance and the work that we have done to set up Viatris for long-term success. I want to thank Robert, the entire Viatris Board of Directors, the management team and especially the thousands of Viatris colleagues with whom I have had the privilege to share this journey. I am pleased to welcome Scott into Viatris and am looking forward to supporting him during this transition, as he is well positioned to continue to build on the Company's momentum."