Roche Announces Leadership Transition in Business Development Division

On May 27, Roche announced the retirement of James Sabry, Head of Pharma Partnering, and the appointment of Boris Zaïtra, currently Head of Group Business Development, as the new Head of Corporate Business Development.

Image Source: Roche Official Website

James Sabry (1958) joined Genentech (now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Roche) in 2010 as the head of its partnering department. In 2018, James Sabry became the head of Genentech’s pharmaceutical collaborations and a member of the expanded company executive committee, based in Basel, Switzerland. After obtaining his medical doctorate from Queen's University in Canada, James Sabry completed his residency at Harvard Medical School, followed by earning a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of California, San Francisco. After working for Roche for 14 years, James Sabry will officially retire.

Boris Zaïtra (1972) joined F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd in Basel in 2012 and currently serves as the Head of Group Business Development, holding a Master of Science degree from École Polytechnique in France. Effective July 1, 2024, Boris Zaïtra will assume the role of Head of Corporate Business Development and become a member of the enlarged Executive Committee of the company, reporting to CEO Thomas Schinecker, and will continue to be based in Basel.