Season 4 - Ep. 3 | Science Fiction to Science Fact: A Conversation with Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson

Today’s healthcare industry has gone from science fiction to science fact in a very short period of time. Gene editing, artificial intelligence (AI), and a host of medical innovations are helping researchers discover new life-changing solutions to target previously incurable diseases like sickle cell anemia, muscular dystrophy, and more.

On today’s Redefiners episode, Clarke Murphy and Emma Combe talk with Paul Hudson, CEO of Sanofi, about how he’s transforming the practice of medicine in a highly competitive industry through new technologies and breakthrough science. Beyond drug discovery, Paul discusses how he’s embracing innovation and AI across his organization to drive efficiency and new thinking, as well as finding ways to make healthcare more equitable for those who need it around the world. He talks about how he balances financial risk and return on investment inherent in the pharmaceutical industry. He shares his approach to talent management, dynamic resource allocation, and how the explosion of digital technologies have upended the traditional path to the C-suite. Paul also talks about the impact of business on society, including Sanofi’s sponsorship of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

We’ll also hear from Danny Ryan, an Executive Director in our London office, who will discuss how organizations can not only weather today’s volatile biopharma market but thrive in it.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes:  

• Risk-taking and Dealmaking with Global MedTech Leader, Kevin Lobo

• A Front Row Seat to the AI Revolution with Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith – Part 2

• Leadership Lounge | Ep. 6 – How can leaders succeed in a Gen-AI-driven world?

• How the Barely Possible Can Overcome the Barely Solvable with First Mode’s Chris Voorhees 

Paul Hudson
CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee, Sanofi

Paul Hudson is reshaping Sanofi into a modern healthcare company with the ambition to transform the practice of medicine. Driven by a purpose to chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives, Paul and the Sanofi teams are focusing efforts to discover, develop and make accessible breakthrough medicines and vaccines for people around the world. Under Paul’s leadership, the company has prioritized social impact by putting diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as health and environmental sustainability, at the core of its long-term strategy.

Before joining Sanofi, Paul was CEO of Novartis Pharmaceuticals from 2016 to 2019, and a member of the Novartis Executive Committee. His career in healthcare has spanned the globe, with assignments in the US, Japan and Europe. Prior to Novartis, he worked for AstraZeneca, where he held several increasingly senior positions and most recently carried out the roles of president, AstraZeneca US and executive vice president, North America. He began his career in sales and marketing roles at GlaxoSmithKline UK and Sanofi-Synthélabo UK.

Paul holds a degree in economics from Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK, and in July 2018 his alma mater awarded him an honorary Doctor of Business Administration for his achievements in industry.