Sanofi has appointed Belén Garijo, currently Chair and CEO of Merck KGaA, as CEO, effective April 29, 2026. She will succeed Paul Hudson, whose mandate the board decided not to renew. As a result, Paul Hudson’s last day as Chief Executive Officer will be on February 17, 2026.

Olivier Charmeil, currently Executive VP of General Medicines, will serve as interim CEO.

Garijo's primary mission will be to "strengthen the productivity, governance, and innovation capacity of Research & Development".

Garijo will be the first woman to lead Sanofi in its history.

She most recently served as the Chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck KGaA.

Garijo is a 15-year veteran of Sanofi, having previously served as Vice President of Pharmaceutical Operations for Europe and Canada.

She currently sits on the Board of Directors for BBVA and previously served on the board of L’Oréal for a decade.