Galapagos NV (Euronext & NASDAQ: GLPG) today announced the appointments by way of co-optation of Dawn Svoronos and Jane Griffiths as Non-Executive Independent Directors to its Board of Directors, effective July 28, 2025.
Dawn Svoronos and Jane Griffiths will replace Peter Guenter and Simon Sturge, who will step down from the board on July 28, 2025.
Jérôme Contamine, Chair of the Board, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Dawn and Jane to our Board of Directors. Their appointments further strengthen the board and underscore our commitment to long-term value creation. On behalf of the entire board and leadership team, I would like to sincerely thank Peter and Simon for their dedication and significant contributions over the past years. Their strategic guidance, especially during this critical period of transition, has been truly invaluable.”
“We warmly welcome Dawn and Jane to the board,” said Henry Gosebruch, CEO of Galapagos. “They bring decades of global leadership experience in our sector, with a strong track record in commercial strategy, organizational transformation, strategic transactions, and corporate governance. Their perspectives will be instrumental as we continue our transformation and focus on building a new pipeline of innovative programs with the potential to become meaningful medicines.”
Dawn Svoronos brings over 30 years of global biopharmaceutical experience, with a strong track record in commercial leadership. She spent 23 years at Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, where she held positions of increasing responsibility. As President of Europe and Canada, she successfully led the post-merger integration of Merck and Schering-Plough and oversaw operations across 30 European markets. Her previous roles included President of Merck Canada, Vice President of Asia Pacific, and Vice President of Global Marketing for the Arthritis, Analgesics, and Osteoporosis franchises, where she was responsible for global brand strategy, market intelligence, pricing, and lifecycle management. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Xenon Pharmaceuticals and sits on the boards of Adverum Biotechnologies and AgNovos Bioscience. Dawn is a Canadian citizen.
Jane Griffiths brings extensive experience in international corporate leadership and high-technology healthcare businesses, most recently as Global Head of Actelion Ltd (now Johnson & Johnson). Before that, she spent 10 years at Johnson & Johnson where she held several senior executive roles, including Company Group Chair of Janssen EMEA, the company’s research-based pharmaceutical division. She was also Chair of the Johnson & Johnson Corporate Citizenship Trust in EMEA and was a sponsor of both the Women’s Leadership Initiative and the Global Pharmaceuticals Sustainability Council. She is the former Chair of both the PhRMA Europe Committee and the Executive Committee of European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations. She has also served as a Non-Executive Director of Johnson Matthey plc and was a member of the Corporate Advisory Board for the UK Government’s ‘Your Life’ campaign, which promotes STEM education. She currently serves as a Non-Executive Director on the board of BAE Systems. Jane is a British citizen.