BRIEF—CEO Pierre-Alain Ruffieux to leave Lonza

Swiss contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Lonza announced today that its chief executive, Pierre-Alain Ruffieux, will leave the company at the end of September by mutual agreement.

The board of directors also announced that Albert Baehny, chairman, will take on the additional responsibility of CEO on an ad interim basis until a permanent successor is appointed. Lonza's shares fell 10.6% to 446.10 francs on the news.

The medium-term strategy and outlook will be discussed in detail at the Capital Markets Day in Visp on October 17, 2023.

“Albert has agreed to lead the Company as CEO on a temporary basis until a successor is in place, for which the Board thanks him. The search for a permanent CEO will start soon. The Board would like to thank Pierre-Alain for his service to Lonza and wishes him well in his future endeavors,” commented Christopher Maeder, vice chairman and lead independent director of Lonza.

Mr Baehny added: “I am committed to Lonza, our employees and all stakeholders. While recent months have undoubtedly been challenging, the company is a global leader in our industry and has many opportunities for further growth across all our businesses.”