The appointment marks an important step in Lundbeck’s ambition to become a bionic company, it states.

“As we advance our Focused Innovator strategy, becoming a bionic company is one of our key strategic focus areas,” says Charl van Zyl, President and CEO of Lundbeck. “AI is not only about technology implementation. It is about transforming how we think, decide, and execute across our entire value chain. Markus brings the enterprise mindset and proven track record needed to embed AI into our business in a responsible and value-creating way.”

In recent years, Lundbeck has established several strategic AI partnerships, including collaborations with OpenAI, Iambic Therapeutics and Danish Centre for AI Innovation. Together, these efforts advance research and early discovery of new drug candidates, while also accelerating commercial execution through data-driven decision-making, enhanced customer engagement and strengthened patient support, the company states.

Markus Kede

In his role as Chief AI Officer, Markus Kede will lead the continued evolution and execution of Lundbeck’s global AI strategy. He will establish strong governance and responsible AI practices, build focused AI capabilities, and drive scalable deployment across functions. His mandate is to ensure clear prioritization and measurable value creation, strengthening Lundbeck’s long-term competitiveness.

Markus Kede brings more than 15 years of international leadership experience across global and commercial roles in highly regulated environments. He currently serves as Senior Vice President, Finance & Business Planning for Lundbeck US, where he leads strategic and financial performance for the US organization and chairs the US Digital & AI Strategy Committee. In this capacity, he has been instrumental in defining and advancing AI initiatives and accelerating enterprise adoption of AI and automation. He will transition from his current US-based role over the coming months and is expected to assume his new role and join the Executive Leadership Team by 1 July.