BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. announced that Alexander Hardy has been named president, succeeding Jean-Jacques Bienaime, who will retire as chairman effective December 1, 2023. Mr. Hardy, currently the CEO of Genentech, will also serve as a director on BioMarin's board of directors. Richard A. Meier, BioMarin's lead independent director, will assume the role of chair of the board of directors.

Mr. Hardy, 55, brings more than 30 years of experience in the global healthcare and biotechnology industries, most recently serving as CEO of Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. He has served as CEO since 2019 and during his tenure demonstrated the ability to deliver growth during a particularly challenging period in which the company lost exclusivity of three of its biggest products. In this most recent role at Genentech, the organization has launched more than 10 new medicines and achieved leading positions across oncology, neuroscience, hemophilia and ophthalmology.

Prior to that, Mr. Hardy held a number of senior roles at Roche and Genentech, including as leader of Global Product Strategy, co-chairing the Late Stage Portfolio Committee responsible for the development strategy for all products in late-stage development, and interfaced with the research and partnering organizations on internal and external molecule candidates. He also served as head of Asia Pacific for Roche. Prior to Genentech and Roche, he held leadership roles at Novartis, PathoGenesis and GSK.