Sanofi appoints Dr Anne Beal as chief patient officer

French drug major Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) has announced the appointment of Anne Beal (pictured) to the newly created position of Chief Patient Officer.

Dr Beal (pictured) is a pediatrician and public health specialist who has devoted her career to providing access to high-quality health care. She joins Sanofi from the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the United States' largest research institute focused on patient-centered outcomes research.

Prior to her tenure with PCORI, Dr Beal was president of the Aetna Foundation, the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna. As President, she led the Foundation's work on improving health care in the United States, particularly for vulnerable patient groups. Dr Beal holds a BA from Brown University, an MD from Cornell University Medical College, and an MPH from Columbia University.