Sanofi proposes new director for appointment

Sanofi has proposed the appointment of healthcare industry veteran Laurent Attal as a new member of its board of directors.

The board membership of Mr Attal, the executive vice-president for research and innovation at L'Oreal, will be voted upon at the company's forthcoming general shareholders meeting on May 4th 2012.

He is being appointed as the successor to Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, who has informed the board that he will not be seeking re-election following the meeting.

Serge Weinberg, chairman of Sanofi's board of directors, praised Sir Lindsay's contributions to the company, saying: "The vision and experience of such a renowned international leader have been invaluable assets for the governance of the group and the development of Sanofi during this period."

Five other board members will see their terms expire at the shareholders' meeting, with Sanofi recommending that all five be reappointed.

Last month, the company published its 2011 financial results, reporting a 3.2 percent annual increase in sales following its recent acquisition of Genzyme.