Deborah Dunsire to Retire as Lundbeck CEO, Charl van Zyl Named Successor

Deborah Dunsire to Retire as Lundbeck CEO, Charl van Zyl Named Successor

(IN BRIEF) H. Lundbeck A/S has announced the initiation of CEO succession, with Deborah Dunsire choosing to retire from her role as President and CEO. Charl van Zyl has been appointed as the new President and CEO, and Dunsire will continue in her position until van Zyl assumes the role by October 1, 2023. Van Zyl, currently serving as EVP and Head of Neurology at UCB, brings extensive experience from his career in the biopharmaceutical industry. The financial guidance for 2023 remains unchanged, as previously stated in the Q1 2023 interim report.

(PRESS RELEASE) VALBY, 27-Jun-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) (OTCMKTS: HLUBF), a biopharmaceutical company committed to researching, developing and delivering transformative therapies for brain diseases, has announced that its Board of Directors has commenced the CEO succession process. Deborah Dunsire, who has played a key role in strengthening Lundbeck’s position since her appointment in 2018, has decided to retire. The Board has appointed Charl van Zyl as the new President and CEO of Lundbeck. Dunsire will continue to serve in her current role until van Zyl assumes the position, no later than October 1, 2023.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Deborah for her contributions over the past almost five years. Deborah has, together with the rest of the management team, done an excellent job in driving the strong commercial performance and changing and strengthening our R&D pipeline both through internal transformation and through some important acquisitions and licenses, creating a strong foundation for Lundbeck’s further growth and advancement,” says Lars Rasmussen, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and continues:

“We look forward to welcoming Charl as new President & CEO. His vast experience from the pharmaceutical industry and the CNS field combined with a strong patient focus and extensive market understanding and commercial execution track record from both listed companies and private equity makes him an excellent fit for Lundbeck.”

“Lundbeck is in a very strong position going into the coming years with great momentum in our strategic brands. Q1 2023 was our strongest revenue quarter ever and we have now launched Rexulti in a blockbuster indication in AADAD*. We see excellent progress with our pipeline developments coming through the successful transformation in Lundbeck’s R&D approach and focus. Lundbeck is therefore well positioned for the future, with a strong executive team in place, so this is the right timing to make this change” says President and CEO Deborah Dunsire.

Charl van Zyl brings extensive experience to his new role. Currently, he serves as EVP and Head of Neurology globally at UCB, a leading biopharmaceutical company focused on CNS and immunology. Additionally, he oversees corporate activities in Europe and International markets. Prior to joining UCB, van Zyl held positions at Eli Lilly and Novartis, with a career spanning various countries including South Africa, the United States, Japan, and Switzerland. He holds a degree in Medical Biochemistry from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

“Neuroscience is one of the most important therapeutic areas of the future, which is why I am thrilled to join Lundbeck, one of the only pharmaceutical companies in the world focusing exclusively on neuroscience with a clear mission to improve the lives of people living with brain disorders. I look forward to being part of Lundbeck’s continued journey to expand its international position in global life science for the benefit of patients, partners, employees and shareholders,” says Charl van Zyl.

The announcement confirms that the financial guidance for 2023 remains unchanged, as previously stated in the Q1 2023 interim report released on May 10, 2023.

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About H. Lundbeck A/S

Lundbeck is a global pharmaceutical company specialized in brain diseases. For more than 70 years, we have been at the forefront of neuroscience research. We are tirelessly dedicated to restoring brain health, so every person can be their best. We are committed to fighting stigma and discrimination against people living with brain diseases and advocating for broader social acceptance of people with brain health conditions. Our research programs tackle some of the most complex challenges in neuroscience, and our pipeline is focused on bringing forward transformative treatments for brain diseases for which there are few, if any therapeutic options.

For additional information, we encourage you to visit our corporate site www.lundbeck.com and connect with us on Instagram (h_lundbeck), Twitter at @Lundbeck and via LinkedIn.

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SOURCE: H. Lundbeck A/S