Han Steutel takes over vfa leadership from Birgit Fischer
12.03.2019 13:25
The Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (vfa) is undergoing a leadership change and planning a strategic reorganization. Long-time Executive Director Birgit Fischer will leave the association upon expiration of her contract on April 30, 2019. Han Steutel (59), Chairman of the vfa Board of Directors and Managing Director of Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co. KGaA, will assume interim leadership of the vfa effective May 1, 2019.
The board, according to its own statements, intends to prepare a strategic reorganization of the association together with the members by the general meeting on June 27, 2019. The intention is that the vfa will combine the chairmanship of the board and the executive management in the future, with Han Steutel taking over the leadership of the association as president. "Our goal is to strengthen the profile and perception of the vfa and to present ourselves both internally and externally with a single leadership team. In this way, we want to increase the vfa's creative power in the health care, but especially in the economic and research policy debate," Han Steutel summarizes the reasons for the planned reorganization.
On behalf of the board and members, Han Steutel thanks Birgit Fischer for the long-standing and successful collaboration: "Our deep respect and gratitude go to Birgit Fischer, who has shaped the association for eight years. Under her leadership, we succeeded in further positioning the vfa as a competent, reliable, and forward-looking contact for politics, business, and the media. Whether in the German government's pharmaceutical dialogue, in coordination with industry associations, or in openness toward collaborations with other stakeholders: With her experience and personality, she has given research-based pharmaceutical companies a voice and consistently pushed the healthcare system forward. We wish her all the best for her future."„
„"I always understand 'health' as a task for many, not just for individuals. Therefore, during my time at the vfa, two concerns were particularly important to me: communicating the contribution that research-based pharmaceutical companies make to the healthcare system and at their locations. And the responsibility they assume in close cooperation with other stakeholders to make patient care fit for the future. I wish the member companies and the vfa team continued success in shaping the important political topic of 'research and health,'" summarizes Birgit Fischer.