Bristol Myers Squibb Appoints Interim General Manager for China and Hong Kong Amid Leadership Transition

On June 17, Ester Banque, Head of Intercontinental Commercial Operations at Bristol-Myers Squibb, formally announced to employees in China that Zhao Ping (Shirley), current General Manager for Mainland China and Hong Kong, will step down from her role as General Manager for China to assume a new appointment as Advisor to the Global Integrated Planning team, effective immediately.

BMS Russia General Manager to Oversee China Market

Meanwhile, Ester Banque has appointed Marek Vasicek, current General Manager of Bristol-Myers Squibb Russia, as the Interim General Manager for Mainland China and Hong Kong, effective immediately. Mr. Vasicek will continue to oversee the Russian market while concurrently managing the Chinese market until the official successor for the General Manager position in China assumes office.

Marek Vasicek, a Czech national, previously served as Marketing Manager for Novartis Pharmaceuticals in the Czech market. He joined Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2000 as Country Director for the Czech Republic and, since 2002, has served as Commercial Director for the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Two years later, he was transferred to the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) regional headquarters in Paris, where he assumed the role of Marketing Director for Abilify. In June 2006, he was appointed General Manager of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the Czech Republic.

In January 2009, Marek Vasicek became the Director of Operations and the Director of Business Development and Strategic Alliances for Bristol-Myers Squibb in Russia. He subsequently served as the Director of Strategy and Operations for the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Market Group. In June 2016, Marek Vasicek was officially appointed General Manager of Bristol-Myers Squibb Russia.

Bristol-Myers Squibb’s “Critical Moment”

As early as ten years ago, Bristol-Myers Squibb had been dreaming of transforming into a biopharmaceutical business. It first divested non-pharmaceutical businesses such as Mead Johnson and its over-the-counter (OTC) products, and in recent years, it has also spun off some mature drug businesses while acquiring several small and medium-sized biopharmaceutical companies. Earlier this year, the company planned to acquire Celgene, a biopharmaceutical giant, for a staggering $74 billion. All these moves highlight Bristol-Myers Squibb's ambition to become a major player in the biopharmaceutical industry.

In recent years, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), particularly PD-1 inhibitors, have been the fastest-growing segment in the biopharmaceutical industry, attracting numerous pharmaceutical companies to enter this field. Bristol-Myers Squibb holds a leading position with its blockbuster PD-1 product, Opdivo, which was launched earlier than competitors. However, competition with Merck’s Keytruda is intense. In 2018, Keytruda rapidly rose to prominence among the top 20 best-selling drugs in the U.S. market, with annual sales increasing by 80% to reach $4.15 billion, nearly approaching Opdivo’s $4.2 billion. It is inevitable that Keytruda will surpass Opdivo this year. According to EvaluatePharma forecasts, Keytruda is projected to become the world’s best-selling drug by 2024, capturing most of Opdivo’s market share.

Original Title: At a Critical Juncture, Bristol-Myers Squibb Replaces General Manager for China!