Cosmo Announces Leadership Changes
Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR
- Giovanni Di Napoli appointed as new CEO effective from 24 May 2024.
- Current CEO Alessandro Della Chà to be appointed as new Chairman of the Board.
- Incumbent Chairman Mauro Ajani to continue as a Board member.
- Additional Board changes proposed for the upcoming AGM.
Dublin, Ireland–(Newsfile Corp. – April 25, 2024) – Cosmo Pharmaceuticals N.V. (SIX: COPN) (FSE: C43) (“Cosmo”) today announced the appointment of Giovanni Di Napoli as its new Chief Executive Officer, along with changes to its Board of Directors, at the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 24 May 2024.
New CEO
The Company is excited to announce the appointment of Giovanni Di Napoli as the new CEO of Cosmo as of the upcoming AGM on 24 May 2024. Giovanni is an accomplished leader with an excellent track record and joins Cosmo from Medtronic where he held various leadership positions since 2008. Until recently, Giovanni was President of Medtronic’s Endoscopy Operating Unit located in Santa Clara, California. In this position, he and his team were responsible for one of the most innovative and fast-growing portfolios in the endoscopy market, which included technologies such as Endoflip, Pillcam, and GI Genius™. From July 2017 to November 2020, he was Vice President and General Manager GIH – Gastrointestinal and Hepatology and was Vice President Sales U.S. – GI Solutions from February 2015 to July 2017. From April 2012 to February 2015, he was Director of Sales & Marketing for Western Europe. Previously, Giovanni held various leadership positions at Johnson & Johnson Medical (2001- 2010). Giovanni has an MBA from the Università Bocconi, Milan, Italy.
Giovanni joins Cosmo with an impressive record of global business leadership achievements, highlighted by his transformative tenure at Medtronic. His recent years in the U.S. have been marked by collaboration with industry partners and clinicians leading to significant advances in gastrointestinal healthcare earning him the prestigious Crystal Awards Honoree recognition from the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). His strategic vision has been pivotal in driving business growth, innovation and establishing robust international partnerships, setting the stage for a new era of excellence at Cosmo.
Mauro Severino Ajani, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cosmo, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Giovanni, a proven leader whose global perspective and innovative approach are exactly what Cosmo needs as we look to the future. His arrival opens a new chapter of growth, investment, and innovation for Cosmo. His reputation for fostering talent, driving growth, and spearheading innovation aligns with our ambitions to take our Company to new heights. With Giovanni at the helm, we’re looking forward to a fresh infusion of ideas and strategies to enhance our performance and portfolio focus. Together, we are poised for an exciting learning and growth phase, propelling our business and contributions to healthcare to the next level.”
Giovanni Di Napoli said: “I am honored and excited to join Cosmo at such an important time in its evolution. I deeply respect and admire what the company has built in healthcare. I look forward to working with the team to understand and realize the potential of our business as we accelerate our path forward and build on our legacy as a trusted leader in Pharma and Healthtech innovation.”
Chairman and Board changes
At the upcoming Annual General Meeting of Cosmo (“AGM”) Giovanni Di Napoli will be presented for formal appointment as an executive director.
At the same time, it will be proposed at the AGM to appoint longstanding Cosmo CEO Alessandro Della Chà as the new Chairman of Cosmo. Alessandro joined Cosmo in 2006 as member of the Board of Directors and was appointed as CEO of the Company in 2014.
Mauro Severino Ajani said: “On behalf of the entire Board and the Cosmo family, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Alessandro for his visionary leadership and steadfast dedication that has been instrumental in shaping Cosmo’s journey to date. His strategic acumen and unwavering commitment have left an indelible mark on our Company. We are delighted that he will continue to contribute his expertise to Cosmo in the future as Chairman.”
Alessandro Della Chà said: “Giovanni Di Napoli is the right leader for Cosmo. His remarkable track record of driving growth and innovation aligns perfectly with our strategic direction. I believe Cosmo is now best poised for further growth, with an outstanding development pipeline both in pharma and AI, great business partnerships and a very strong financial position, to pursue its objectives. l am confident that the Cosmo will continue to thrive under the new leadership and deliver on our mission to improve patients’ care. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to all of the people at Cosmo for their hard work and dedication which has brought us this far. It has been an honor to lead such a talented team and I am proud of what we have achieved together. I look forward to continuing to work together in my new role.”
Mauro Severino Ajani, Founder, major shareholder and long-standing Chairman of Cosmo, has decided to step down from his current position as Chairman, but remains dedicated to the Company and will stand for election as a non-executive member of the Board at the AGM. He said: “Cosmo has delivered all that I had hoped for and is ready to capitalize on the opportunities which lie ahead. Fresh energies are now needed, as much as continuity with our history of developing new products to solve unmet needs. I am very confident that these changes position Cosmo to continue to deliver innovations at an amazing speed.”
Current board members Dieter A. Enkelmann, David W. Maris, and Kevin Donovan will not stand for re-election at the AGM. The following candidates will be proposed for re-election and election at the AGM: Alessandro Della Chà (Chairman), Mauro Severino Ajani (incumbent), Maria Grazia Roncarolo (incumbent), Giovanni Di Napoli (CEO; new), Niall Donnelly (CFO; new), Silvana Perretta (Professor of Surgery and Chief of Foregut and Advanced Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Division at the University of Strasbourg, France; non-executive director; new), and John O’Dea (CEO Palliare; non-executive director; new).
The full invitation and proxy statement for the AGM, together with the agenda and all voting items as well as the detailed CV’s of all proposed members of the Board of Directors, will be published in due course and will also be available on the Company’s website via https://www.cosmopharma.com/investors/general-meeting.
About Cosmo
Cosmo is a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercialising products to treat selected gastrointestinal disorders, to improve endoscopy quality measures through aiding the detection of colonic lesions and to treat selected dermatological conditions. Cosmo develops and manufactures products which are distributed globally by selected partners including Lialda®/Mezavant®/Mesavancol®, Uceris®/Cortiment®, Aemcolo®/ Relafalk® and Winlevi®. Cosmo has also developed medical devices for endoscopy and has a partnership with Medtronic for the global distribution of GI Genius™ which uses artificial intelligence to help detect potential signs of colon cancer. The company also has a rich development pipeline. For additional information on Cosmo and its products, please visit www.cosmopharma.com.
Upcoming Calendar of Events
Annual General Meeting 2024 May 24, 2024
ODDO BHF Nextcap Forum 2024 June 6, 2024
Half Year Results 2024 July 25, 20024
Contact
Hazel Winchester
Head of Investor Relations
Cosmo Pharmaceuticals N.V.
Tel: +353 1 817 03 70
Disclaimer
Some of the statements in this press release may be forward-looking statements or statements of future expectations based on currently available information. Such statements are naturally subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors such as the development of general economic conditions, future market conditions, unusual catastrophic loss events, changes in the capital markets and other circumstances may cause the actual events or results to be materially different from those anticipated by such statements. Cosmo does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or updated status of such statements. Therefore, in no case whatsoever will Cosmo and its affiliate companies be liable to anyone for any decision made or action taken in conjunction with the information and/or statements in this press release or for any related damages.
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