Novo Nordisk Ushers in New Era of Leadership as Maziar Mike Doustdar Is Named President and CEO, Effective August 7, 2025
Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare leader renowned for its innovations in diabetes and obesity treatment, has announced a major leadership transition that signals both continuity and ambition for the future. Effective August 7, 2025, Maziar Mike Doustdar will assume the role of president and chief executive officer (CEO), succeeding Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, who is stepping down after nearly four decades with the company, including a transformative tenure at its helm.
The appointment of Mike Doustdar is the culmination of a rigorous, carefully conducted succession process that evaluated both internal and external candidates. The decision was unanimously supported by Novo Nordisk’s Board of Directors and fully endorsed by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, reaffirming the company’s confidence in Doustdar’s ability to lead Novo Nordisk into its next chapter of growth, innovation, and patient impact.
From International Leadership to Global Stewardship
Mike Doustdar currently serves as Novo Nordisk’s Executive Vice President of International Operations—a role in which he has overseen the company’s commercial activities outside of the United States, including markets across Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. During his leadership, Doustdar has been instrumental in propelling Novo Nordisk’s international footprint to new heights. In 2024, sales under his purview more than doubled to reach approximately DKK 112 billion, underscoring his ability to translate strategic vision into tangible performance.
With nearly 20,000 employees across the international segment, Doustdar has demonstrated not only commercial acumen but also a talent for building cohesive, high-performing teams across cultures, geographies, and market maturity levels. His leadership has been marked by agility, customer focus, and a deep understanding of the local healthcare dynamics that influence treatment access and patient outcomes globally.
“Mike is an exceptional leader and has the unanimous support of the Board,” said Helge Lund, Chair of Novo Nordisk. “We are confident that he is the best person to lead Novo Nordisk through its next growth phase. Mike has consistently demonstrated the ability to drive growth through strong commercial execution and building high-performing teams. This is an important moment for Novo Nordisk. The market is developing rapidly, and the company needs to address recent market challenges with speed and ambition. I believe Novo Nordisk will build on its strengths as a global leader in obesity and diabetes, and Mike has a clear vision of how to unlock the full potential of the opportunities ahead.”
A Leadership Philosophy Anchored in Performance and Purpose
Doustdar brings to the CEO role not only a formidable track record but also a clear-eyed understanding of the momentous opportunities and responsibilities facing Novo Nordisk. With global demand for obesity and diabetes treatments surging, and scientific innovation entering a new era of complexity and promise, the company is poised to expand its leadership footprint—if it can move swiftly, decisively, and innovatively.
“It’s an enormous privilege to lead this company at a time of tremendous opportunity and change,” said Doustdar in a statement. “I come to this role with a sense of urgency, a laser focus on high performance, and a fierce determination for Novo Nordisk to aim higher than it’s ever done, and to deliver to many more patients the innovation they need.”
Drawing on decades of experience within Novo Nordisk, Doustdar also emphasized the collective strength of the company’s workforce and scientific community. “From my decades in leadership roles across Novo Nordisk, I know the extraordinary talent and commitment of our people and the excellence of our science. This has enabled us to achieve great things in the past and will ensure we continue to do so in the future.”
Honoring a Transformational Leader: Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen
Doustdar’s appointment also marks the end of an era for outgoing CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, whose 34-year tenure with Novo Nordisk is widely credited with reshaping the company’s global profile and therapeutic reach. Under Jørgensen’s stewardship, Novo Nordisk has evolved from a regional diabetes-focused company into a global powerhouse in chronic disease treatment, with a robust and rapidly growing portfolio in obesity, rare diseases, cardiovascular outcomes, and metabolic disorders.
“Under Lars’s leadership, Novo Nordisk has undergone a profound period of growth and now reaches millions more patients with life-changing medicines,” said Chair Helge Lund. “On behalf of Novo Nordisk’s Board of Directors and our employees, I want to thank Lars for 34 years of unstinting commitment to the company and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”
Jørgensen’s tenure also saw Novo Nordisk scale new heights in market capitalization, shareholder value, R&D innovation, and sustainability leadership. His legacy will remain foundational as Doustdar builds upon that momentum in a healthcare environment that demands both continuity and bold transformation.
Strategic Realignment of R&D to Accelerate Innovation
Alongside the CEO appointment, Novo Nordisk also announced a pivotal restructuring of its research and development (R&D) operations, aimed at streamlining discovery, development, and pipeline progression across its core therapeutic areas.
Effective August 7, the company will merge its Research & Early Development and Development EVP areas into a consolidated R&D unit under the leadership of Martin Holst Lange, MD, PhD. Lange, who currently serves as Executive Vice President of Development, will assume the newly created role of Chief Scientific Officer (CSO).
As CSO, Lange will be charged with unifying the early and late-stage R&D operations, ensuring that promising scientific discoveries are efficiently translated into clinical development and, ultimately, commercial innovation. This consolidation is expected to enhance Novo Nordisk’s ability to respond swiftly to emerging opportunities and competitive pressures, particularly in the increasingly crowded and competitive fields of obesity and diabetes therapeutics.
“Martin Holst Lange will focus on seamlessly combining the two functions, quickly advancing the innovation of new therapies and ensuring the success of the early and late-stage pipelines,” the company stated. “He will work closely with Mike Doustdar to drive pipeline development and innovation from both within and outside of the company.”
The R&D restructuring also coincides with the planned retirement of Marcus Schindler, who currently serves as Executive Vice President of Research & Early Development and CSO. Schindler, who joined Novo Nordisk in 2018 and became CSO in 2021, has been instrumental in steering the company’s early science initiatives and external innovation strategies. He will remain with the company for a brief transition period to ensure operational continuity.
“We thank Marcus for his deep commitment to Novo Nordisk and its pursuit of scientific excellence,” said Helge Lund. “We wish him all the best for the future.”
New Leadership in International Operations
With Doustdar moving into the CEO position, Emil Kongshøj Larsen will step into the role of Executive Vice President of International Operations. Larsen, who currently serves as Senior Vice President for the Europe and Canada region (EUCAN), brings extensive operational experience and strategic vision to his new role.
Larsen currently oversees a portfolio spanning 40 countries, accounting for approximately 20% of Novo Nordisk’s global sales. He has previously led business units across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and also served as head of Commercial Affairs and Strategy for International Operations, making him uniquely equipped to manage Novo Nordisk’s diverse international business environment.
Executive Management Team – Effective August 7, 2025
As of August 7, Novo Nordisk’s Executive Management will comprise the following leaders, reflecting the organization’s commitment to continuity, innovation, and operational excellence:
- Maziar Mike Doustdar – President and CEO*
- Thilde Hummel Bøgebjerg – Executive Vice President, Quality, IT & Environmental Affairs
- Emil Kongshøj Larsen – Executive Vice President, International Operations
- Ludovic Helfgott – Executive Vice President, Product & Portfolio Strategy
- Karsten Munk Knudsen – Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer*
- Martin Holst Lange – Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Research & Development
- David Moore – Executive Vice President, US Operations
- Tania Sabroe – Executive Vice President, People, Organisation and Corporate Affairs
- Henrik Wulff – Executive Vice President, CMC & Product Supply
(*Registered as executives with the Danish Business Authority)
This leadership team reflects Novo Nordisk’s multidimensional approach to value creation, integrating excellence in product innovation, commercial execution, regulatory engagement, and global supply chain management. Together, they will drive the company’s overarching goal: to improve the lives of people living with chronic diseases worldwide.
