Drugmaker Novo Nordisk has appointed Dilek Dogan Gurluk as the general manager of its Irish operations.
The Wegovy maker’s top investor had proposed an international board overhaul in recent days, but Ms Dogan Gurluk’s appointment came before the global management shake up.
The new boss of the company’s Irish operations has been appointed from Novo Nordisk Netherlands where she worked as senior marketing director.
She has worked Europe, Turkey, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific region and holds qualifications from Bogazici University and Koc University, both in Istanbul, Turkey.
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“My focus and ambition is to drive a societal shift of chronic disease management for obesity care in Ireland,” she said.
“I’m honoured to lead Novo Nordisk Ireland at such a pivotal time of change for our company and for healthcare more broadly.”
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She said the company is “evolving beyond its strong heritage in diabetes care” and is looking to “revolutionise obesity care”.
“We know from our experience that tackling chronic diseases requires more than medicine alone, we need a whole-of-society approach,” she said.
The firm, which counts blockbuster weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy among its products, employs about 400 people in Athlone, Co Westmeath.
Shares of Novo Nordisk fell about 3 per cent on Wednesday, extending their losses from a day earlier, following the news of the changes to the company’s board.
The non-profit Novo Nordisk Foundation said that current chair Helge Lund and six other independent board members would step down next month after a dispute with the foundation over the pace of change at the company.
The foundation plans to install Lars Rebien Sorensen, a former Novo chief executive and the chairperson of the foundation, as the company chair for up to three years. It has also proposed six new board members.
Novo’s shares, which have lost about 45 per cent of their value so far this year, closed 1.3 per cent lower on Tuesday. They have shed roughly $10 billion in market value since Monday’s close alone. – Additional reporting: Reuters
