The board of directors of Avantor announced the election of Jonathan Peacock, 64, as chairman effective at the end of today's annual meeting of stockholders. Peacock, a member of Avantor's board since 2017, succeeds Raj Gupta, 76, who announced his planned retirement earlier this year.

"Jon's contributions as a board member and lead independent director have been instrumental in establishing Avantor as a global life sciences leader," Gupta said. "I am confident that with his guidance along with our superb management team and board, Avantor is well positioned for continued success."

"It is an honour to accept the role of chairman in this pivotal period of growth for Avantor when the potential to achieve life-changing scientific breakthroughs has never been greater," said Peacock. "The Board and I look forward to working closely with Michael and the executive team, as they continue to grow and strengthen the business by supporting life sciences customers from discovery to delivery."

Peacock also serves as a Director and Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee of UCB SA, a biopharmaceutical company focusing on neurology and immunology. His career has included roles as CFO of Amgen Inc, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of Novartis Pharma AG, Chairman and CEO of Bellerophon Therapeutics, Co-founder and Chairman of Arix Bioscience plc and Board Member of Kite Pharma and Genmab A/S. He was also a Partner at McKinsey and Price Waterhouse.