Viatris names new CEO

Cecil-based pharmaceutical company Viatris Inc. has named a new chief executive officer.

Scott A. Smith will be taking the role of chief executive officer, effective April 1.

Current CEO Michael Goettler will be working closely with Smith to support a transition, the company said.

Smith has been a member of the Viatris board since December 2022.

He previously was president and chief operating officer at Celgene Corp., where he also held roles of senior vice president, global head of immunology, as well as president of inflammation and immunology.

Most recently, he worked as president of BioAtla, Inc., a publicly traded global biotechnology company.

“As we now prepare to enter into Phase 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,” said Robert Coury, executive chairman. “The board sees his strong commercial and strategic expertise being complemented by his experience in organically building product franchises, business development and partnering activities.”

“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,” Coury said in a statement.

Viatris employs about 37,000 workers globally.

“It is an incredibly exciting time to become Viatris’ CEO,” Smith said in a statement. “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.”