Directorate Change

16 December 2024 07:00 GMT

Non-Executive Board Appointments

AstraZeneca PLC announced today that Rene Haas and Birgit Conix have been appointed as Non-Executive Directors with effect from 1 January 2025 and 1 February 2025 respectively.

Birgit will become a member of the Audit Committee on appointment to the Board.

Rene is Chief Executive Officer of Arm. Birgit is Chief Financial Officer of Sonova. Further biographical details are set out below.

Michel Demaré, Chair of AstraZeneca, said "I am confident Rene and Birgit will be excellent additions to the AstraZeneca Board.  We look forward to welcoming them as we continue the process of refreshing the Board in anticipation of four current Non-Executive Directors reaching nine years' tenure in the coming years.

"Rene brings deep and broad knowledge of technology including data science, computing and AI from his numerous years' experience in the microprocessor, semiconductor and software engineering industry, and experience of leading a large Cambridge, UK-based technology company.

"Birgit's financial and executive experience through successive CFO roles over the last decade, together with her 15 years' experience of the pharmaceutical industry prior to that, will enable her to contribute to the Audit Committee's and Board's work from the outset.

"Both Rene and Birgit bring to AstraZeneca's Board significant international experience in senior executive roles at large global businesses."

Biographical details - Rene Haas

Rene was appointed Chief Executive Officer and to the Arm Board in February 2022.  In September 2023, he led Arm's return to the public markets with the most valuable IPO of the year.  Prior to becoming CEO, Rene was President of Arm's IP Product Groups (IPG) from January 2017.  Under his leadership, he transformed IPG to focus on key solutions for vertical markets with a more diversified product portfolio and increased investment in the Arm software ecosystem.  Rene joined Arm in October 2013 as Vice President of Strategic Alliances and two years later was appointed to the Executive Committee and named Arm's Chief Commercial Officer in charge of global sales and marketing.

Before joining Arm, Rene held several applications management, applications engineering and product engineering roles, including seven years at NVIDIA as Vice President and General Manager of its computing products business.  Prior to NVIDIA, Rene held executive roles at Scintera Networks and Tensilica.

In addition to his role as CEO of Arm, Rene also sits on the Boards of Arm China and SoftBank Group.

Rene is based in Silicon Valley, US and also spends significant time in the major technology centres of the UK, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Rene earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Clarkson University and is a graduate of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Executive Education Program.

Biographical details - Birgit Conix

Birgit joined Sonova and became Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Management Board in 2021.  She was previously Chief Financial Officer and member of the Executive Board of TUI, a global leader in tourism, from 2018 to 2021.  Before joining TUI, she was Chief Financial Officer of the Belgian media, cable and telecommunications business Telenet Group from 2013 until 2018.  Prior to that, she held various senior positions in finance, strategy and business operations in the pharmaceuticals and medical devices business units at Johnson & Johnson, and in finance at Heineken, Tenneco and Reed Elsevier.

In addition to her role as CFO of Sonova, Birgit is a member of the Supervisory Board of ASML, one of the world's leading manufacturers of chip-making equipment in the semiconductor industry, where she is Chair of the ESG Committee and a member of the Audit Committee.

Birgit holds an MBA from the Booth School of Business, University of Chicago and a Master of Science in Business Economics from the University of Tilburg.

Except as set out above, no disclosure obligations arise under paragraphs (1) to (6) of UKLR 6.4.8 R of the UK Financial Conduct Authority's Listing Rules in respect of these appointments.

AstraZeneca 

AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialisation of prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and BioPharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca's innovative medicines are sold in more than 125 countries and used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on social media @AstraZeneca 

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Adrian Kemp
Company Secretary

AstraZeneca PLC