Michel Demaré will take over as chair of the board at biopharmaceutical multinational AstraZeneca after the company has held its AGM in April 2023.

Demaré has been on AstraZeneca’s board since 2019 as an independent non-executive director and is currently chair of the company’s remuneration committee. He is a member of the audit committee and the nomination and governance committee.

Demaré is chair of IMD Business School and also chairs the board of software company Nomoko AG. He is a non-executive director of Vodafone Group and Louis Dreyfus Int’l Holdings BV. Earlier in his career, he was CFO Europe for medical manufacturer Baxter International.

Leif Johansson, AstraZeneca’s current chair, said: “I am delighted that Michel will succeed me following the 2023 AGM. He is an internationally respected leader with extensive experience in strategy, planning, execution, governance and corporate stewardship and a proven track record leading multinational companies, as well as experience of the pharmaceutical industry gained at Baxter and as a member of the AstraZeneca Board.

“I look forward to undertaking a comprehensive handover in the coming months and to seeing the continued development and success of AstraZeneca.”