The Korea Research-based Pharmaceutical Industry Association (KRPIA) announced that it has appointed Bae Kyung-eun, General Manager of Sanofi-Aventis Korea, as the 15th chairperson of the association.
This decision was made during the association's board meeting, marking a new chapter in KRPIA's leadership.
Bae first joined the KRPIA board of directors in Sept. 2013 and served as part of the vice-presidential body from Feb. 2015. She has been recognized for her substantial contributions to the pharmaceutical industry. Her rich experience and deep insights into healthcare policies and systems have been instrumental in driving the growth and development of KRPIA.
With a career spanning over 30 years in the global pharmaceutical sector, Bae has held numerous significant positions, including business unit head, global product director in the U.S., and general manager for oncology and specialty care, culminating in her role as CEO.
Her tenure at Sanofi-Aventis Korea has been marked by her leadership in integrating Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division, and Sanofi Genzyme, the specialty care unit, under a single brand.
Before joining Sanofi-Aventis Korea and Genzyme Korea, Bae worked at Novartis Korea and its U.S. branch. She has also been serving as the chairperson of the Healthcare Committee at the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea since Sept. 2022.
"As the global pharmaceutical industry faces a more rapidly changing health and medical environment than ever before following the Covid-19 pandemic, we will continue our industry-wide efforts to ensure that Korean patients receive faster and broader access to innovative new drugs based on our vision of putting patients first," Bae said. "Notably, we will continue to find ways to collaborate with domestic companies, such as strengthening open innovation, to create an innovative ecosystem for Korea's pharmaceutical and bio-industry, and focus on close and active communication with the government."
Additionally, KRPIA announced the appointment of new vice-chairperson, including representatives from Novartis Korea GM Yoo Byung-jae, Bristol Myers Squibb Korea GM Lee He-young, and Pfizer Korea GM Oh Dong-wook, and board members.
"The reorganization is expected to contribute to the development of the domestic healthcare industry through global harmonization by forming a board of directors with extensive experience in Korea, Asia, and overseas," a KRPIA official said. "KRPIA will continue to exert its organizational and strategic strength to expand patient access to innovative new medicines and do its best as an important partner for society."