Changes to the Roche Enlarged Corporate Executive Committee
Roche announced the retirement of James Sabry, Head of Roche Pharma Partnering, after 14 years with the company. Sabry, who joined Genentech in 2010 and became Head of Pharma Partnering in 2018, will be succeeded by Boris Zaïtra. Zaïtra, currently Head of Group Business Development, will assume the new role of Head of Corporate Business Development on 1 July 2024. This position merges Pharma Partnering and Group Business Development functions. CEO Thomas Schinecker praised Sabry's contributions to the company's R&D pipeline and expressed confidence in Zaïtra's expertise in M&A and leadership.
- James Sabry successfully forged important deals for Roche's Pharma R&D pipeline.
- Boris Zaïtra will assume a new role that merges important business development functions.
- CEO Thomas Schinecker expressed confidence in Zaïtra's expertise in M&A and leadership.
- Zaïtra's appointment is seen as a strategic move to leverage external innovation.
- Retirement of James Sabry may cause temporary disruption in Pharma Partnering operations.
- Transition period might slow down ongoing business development initiatives.
Basel, 27 May 2024 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today that James Sabry (1958), Head of Roche Pharma Partnering, will be retiring after fourteen years with the company.
James Sabry joined Genentech in 2010 as Head of Genentech Partnering. In 2018, he became the Head of Pharma Partnering and a member of the enlarged Corporate Executive Committee, based in Basel, Switzerland. James Sabry completed an MD at Queen’s University in Canada and his residency at Harvard Medical School, and then completed a PhD in neuroscience at UCSF.
Boris Zaïtra (1972), currently Head of Group Business Development, will be appointed Head of Corporate Business Development effective 1 July 2024, a new role that will bring together the Pharma Partnering and Group Business Development functions. He will become a member of the enlarged Corporate Executive Committee, reporting to Thomas Schinecker, Group CEO, and will continue to be based in Basel.
Boris Zaïtra joined Roche in Basel in 2012 in his current role. Prior to this, he had progressively expanding M&A leadership responsibilities in multiple industries. He holds a Master of Sciences from Ecole Polytechnique in France.
Roche’s CEO Thomas Schinecker: “James has been instrumental in forging important deals for our Pharma R&D pipeline that have led to numerous launches of new medicines. I am grateful for James`s contributions to our company and for his dedication to our purpose.” Schinecker further commented: “Leveraging external innovation has always been and continues to be a critical part of our business strategy. I am excited to have Boris Zaïtra take on this new role. He brings an excellent combination of expertise in M&A, experience in the industry, and leadership to the role. ”
About Roche
Founded in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland, as one of the first industrial manufacturers of branded medicines, Roche has grown into the world’s largest biotechnology company and the global leader in in-vitro diagnostics. The company pursues scientific excellence to discover and develop medicines and diagnostics for improving and saving the lives of people around the world. We are a pioneer in personalised healthcare and want to further transform how healthcare is delivered to have an even greater impact. To provide the best care for each person we partner with many stakeholders and combine our strengths in Diagnostics and Pharma with data insights from the clinical practice.
In recognising our endeavour to pursue a long-term perspective in all we do, Roche has been named one of the most sustainable companies in the pharmaceuticals industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the fifteenth consecutive year. This distinction also reflects our efforts to improve access to healthcare together with local partners in every country we work.
Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan.
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