UCB today disclosed its CEO succession plan, with current CEO Roch Doliveux set to be succeeded after 10 years at the helm by Jean-Christophe Tellier, now the company’s evp, Biopharma Brands and Solutions.

Tellier will hold the title of chief executive officer-elect and chairman of the executive committee as of March 1, where he is expected to work alongside Doliveux before ascending to CEO on Jan. 1, 2015. Tellier will also be nominated for UCB’s board of directors at its next annual general meeting of shareholders on April 24.

Tellier joined UCB in 2011 from Ipsen, where he was president and general manager. His ascension to CEO caps a 25-year pharma industry career that started in 1988 in the marketing department of Synthelabo and included stints at Ciba France and its successor Novartis, as well as a short stretch as MacroGenics.

In a statement, Deliveux said Tellier “Since joining UCB in 2011, Jean-Christophe has played a key role in UCB’s successes, and he has been instrumental in helping establish our current strategy.

“UCB is entering an important new growth era: Our rich late-stage pipeline is poised to reach pivotal milestones from the second half of 2014 through mid-2016. Leadership continuity is critical to ensuring the successful launch of these important products in the severe disease areas of osteoporosis, lupus, and epilepsy,” Doliveux said.

UCB called the forthcoming change at the top “the result of a long and well thought through succession plan to ensure necessary experience and knowledge transfer.

“It creates the best conditions for the company’s future growth allowing it, together with its 8,500 colleagues, to deliver on UCB’s commitment to patients,” the company stated.

Under Doliveux, UCB transformed itself from a diversified chemical concern into a global pharma company, having launched three core treatments in recent years, the arthritis/Crohn’s disease treatment Cimzia®, the epilepsy drug Vimpat® and the Parkinson disease medicine Neupro® . The company also accelerated its growth in emerging markets and Japan, and stepped up R&D productivity.

“Roch has put everything in place to prepare UCB for its next phase. We wish to express our gratitude for everything he has done,” the company said.

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