Roche announced today that James Sabry (born 1958), Head of Roche Pharma Partnering, will be retiring after fourteen years with the company.
James Sabry joined Genentech in 2010 as Head of Genentech Partnering. In 2018, he became Head of Pharma Partnering and a member of the Enlarged Corporate Executive Committee, based in Basel, Switzerland. He holds an MD from Queen’s University in Canada, completed his residency at Harvard Medical School, and earned a PhD in neuroscience from UCSF.
Boris Zaïtra (born 1972), currently Head of Group Business Development, will be appointed Head of Corporate Business Development effective 1 July 2024. This new role will integrate the Pharma Partnering and Group Business Development functions. He will join the Enlarged Corporate Executive Committee, reporting to Thomas Schinecker, Group CEO, and will remain based in Basel.
Boris Zaïtra has been with Roche in Basel since 2012 in his current role. Before joining Roche, he held progressively senior M&A leadership roles across various industries. He holds a Master of Science degree from Ecole Polytechnique in France.
Roche’s CEO Thomas Schinecker stated, “James has been instrumental in forging important deals for our Pharma R&D pipeline that have led to numerous launches of new medicines. I am grateful for James’s contributions to our company and for his dedication to our purpose.” Schinecker added, “Leveraging external innovation has always been and continues to be a critical part of our business strategy. I am excited to have Boris Zaïtra take on this new role. He brings an excellent combination of expertise in M&A, experience in the industry, and leadership to the role.”
Founded in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland, as one of the first industrial manufacturers of branded medicines, Roche has grown into the world’s largest biotechnology company and the global leader in in-vitro diagnostics. The company pursues scientific excellence to discover and develop medicines and diagnostics to improve and save lives worldwide. Roche is a pioneer in personalized healthcare and aims to transform healthcare delivery for greater impact. Collaborating with many stakeholders, Roche combines strengths in Diagnostics and Pharma with data insights from clinical practice.
Recognizing its commitment to a long-term perspective, Roche has been named one of the most sustainable companies in the pharmaceuticals industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the fifteenth consecutive year. This distinction reflects Roche’s efforts to improve access to healthcare in partnership with local entities in every country where it operates.
Genentech, based in the United States, is a wholly-owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is also the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan.
