Gitte Aabo will step down as President and CEO after 27 years in the company, and 11 of these as CEO, and the Board of Directors has appointed Catherine Mazzacco as new President and CEO effective August 1, 2019.

A joint decision

LEO Pharma has embarked on a strategy towards 2025 and has during recent years built a robust R&D pipeline and an expanded global footprint. The next phase in the company’s strategy is to prepare the launch of a number of therapies, and the Board of Directors and Gitte Aabo have jointly concluded that this is the right time to make a leadership change to continue the successful path of LEO Pharma.

“This is the right time to hand over to a successor who will oversee the coming product launches and secure the long-term success of LEO Pharma. I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to help patients during my career at LEO Pharma, and for having worked with such great people. I am proud of what we have achieved together and of the company I pass on to my successor,” said Gitte Aabo.

Catherine Mazzacco

LEO Pharma’s Board of Directors has appointed Catherine Mazzacco as new President and CEO from August 1, 2019. Catherine Mazzacco is an accomplished executive with more than 25 years of experience in international business management, strategy, marketing and sales in the pharmaceutical and life-science industry, including in launching and expanding biologics in immunology. Her wealth of professional and business experience includes positions as head of Global Commercial Operations for GE Healthcare’s BioPharma division, and, before that, numerous leadership positions at Abbott in the pharmaceutical, diagnostic and medical devices divisions.

Catherine Mazzacco has lived in the United States since 2011. She received her engineering degree from the Université de Technologie de Compiègne (France). She plans to relocate from Boston to Denmark in connection to her new position.

“I am truly honored to be asked to lead LEO Pharma. This is a company with a strong heritage and an even stronger future. I am very impressed by what the people at LEO Pharma have accomplished and the high reputation LEO Pharma enjoys among patients and physicians. This is a great foundation to build on in the coming years, with the expansion of LEO Pharma’s innovative portfolio ahead of us,” said Catherine Mazzacco.

Photo of Gitte Aabo: Ulrik Janzen, Photo of Catherine Mazzacco: Business wire


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