Novartis has appointed new management in Belgium and Luxembourg. Sarah Bonhomme took up her post on Tuesday 1 September: she will take over as head of the pharmaceutical group’s operations in both markets. A qualified pharmacist, the French executive has worked at Novartis for over 21 years. She will lead the operations of a company active in drug development, medical innovation and clinical research.

Sarah Bonhomme succeeds Federico Mambretti, who had held the post for five years. He is returning to Italy to take up the role of national president of Novartis.

The new chief executive will also represent the group on the board of directors of Pharma.be, the Belgian pharmaceutical industry federation. In particular, she intends to strengthen partnerships with healthcare professionals, public authorities and the academic sector, as well as to speed up patients’ access to medical innovations.