Leadership Restructuring at Two Multinational Pharma Companies on March 1

▌ Merger of the Fresenius and Huari Business Units

According to Dami, today Fresenius Kabi China announced to its employees that, effective March 1, the Anesthesia and Surgery Business Unit of Beijing Fresenius Kabi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. will be integrated with the Parenteral Nutrition Business Unit of Fresenius Kabi Huarui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Fresenius Kabi Huarui) under unified management.

The two business units have been merged to form the new “Parenteral Nutrition and Anesthesia Business Unit,” and Chen Guang has been appointed as Vice President of Fresenius Kabi China, with full responsibility for the business operations and personnel management of the new Parenteral Nutrition and Anesthesia Business Unit. He has also joined the Management Committee of Fresenius Kabi China, reporting to Ding Weibo, President of Fresenius Kabi China.

Chen Guang currently serves as the Executive Deputy General Manager of Fresenius Kabi Huarui. On July 5, 2018, Fresenius Kabi Huarui announced a series of personnel adjustments, under which Chen Guang was promoted from Deputy General Manager to Executive Deputy General Manager of Fresenius Kabi Huarui (see MRCLUB historical messages: 1. New Head of Huarui’s Enteral Nutrition Division Appointed; 2. Fresenius China Integrates Medical Device Business, Shen Minyue of Huarui Appointed Vice President of Fresenius China).

Following this new appointment, Chen Guang will continue to serve as Executive Deputy General Manager of Fresenius Kabi Huairui, reporting to Zhuang Wenyan, General Manager of Fresenius Kabi Huairui.

Of course, like other multinational pharmaceutical companies in China, Fresenius Kabi’s recent adjustments are aimed at adapting to changes in national pharmaceutical policies, optimizing its product portfolio, and improving operational efficiency. Next, Dami will briefly introduce the historical connections among Fresenius, Fresenius Kabi, and Huarui Pharmaceutical.

Fresenius Group is a large multinational healthcare corporation comprising four independent business segments, each responsible for its own global operations: Fresenius Medical Care, Fresenius Kabi, Fresenius Helios, and Fresenius Vamed.

Among them, Fresenius Kabi is a multinational corporation specializing in infusion therapy, transfusion medicine, and clinical nutrition. After nearly three decades of development, it has become one of the leaders in China’s clinical nutrition, renal nutrition therapy, and anesthesia therapy sectors. Beijing Fresenius Kabi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Fresenius Kabi Huarui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. are two of its subsidiaries.

As early as the 1980s, Fresenius Kabi began its operations in China. In 1994, Beijing Fresenius Kabi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. was officially established and commenced production in October of the same year, dedicated to introducing advanced products and healthcare solutions to China. The company is commonly referred to in the industry as “Beijing Fresenius,” “Fresenius,” or “Fresenius Kabi.” Currently, Fresenius Kabi operates four manufacturing centers and four R&D bases in China.

Fresenius Kabi Huairui’s predecessor, “Huairui Pharmaceutical,” was established in 1982 as one of China’s earliest joint-venture pharmaceutical companies and the first joint venture between China and Sweden, with Sinopharm as the Chinese shareholder. In 1999, the foreign shareholder, Pharmacia & Upjohn, transferred its shares to Fresenius Kabi AG of Germany, making Huairui Pharmaceutical a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fresenius Group.

In early 2016, Beijing Fresenius Kabi Huairui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Huairui began preparations for co-located operations in Beijing. On January 5, 2017, “Huairui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.” was officially renamed “Fresenius Kabi Huairui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.”

▌ Ji Cheng Appointed as Head of Novartis China’s Hong Kong Region

Not only Fresenius Kabi, but according to Dami’s understanding, management personnel at another multinational pharmaceutical company, Novartis, will also undergo changes next month.

Yesterday, Novartis announced the appointment of Ji Cheng as Head of Hong Kong Region for Novartis China, reporting directly to Wang Jia, Head of the Transplantation and Respiratory Business Unit at Novartis China.

Ji Cheng currently serves as the Head of Business Model Transformation and Digital Team at Novartis China. Prior to joining Novartis, he was a Managing Director in the pharmaceutical industry at Boston Consulting Group. Ji Cheng joined Novartis in 2018, successively serving as the Head of Strategic Planning for Sandoz Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa, and as the Head of Business Model Transformation and Digital Team at Novartis China.

After Ji Cheng’s transfer to the Hong Kong region, his successor has not yet been determined. According to Dami, Novartis is currently recruiting.