Astellas names new CFO for European business

Astellas has announced the appointment of Eugene Van Rensburg as chief financial officer (CFO) of its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) business unit.

Mr Van Rensburg has been promoted from his previous role as senior finance director to succeed Niek Stander, who will now head up the company's German operations as managing director.

He will oversee the Finance function across 40 countries in the EMEA region, taking responsibility for all financial planning and operations, as well as tax, treasury, procurement and information systems.

His main priority will be to focus on strategic planning and budgeting, cost and process optimisation, profitability analysis, and finding innovative ways to maximise the value of existing brands and assets.

Ken Jones, president and chief executive officer of Astellas Pharma EMEA, said: "Eugene will play a major role as we work to sustain [our] success by maximising the value of our portfolio, prioritising research and development, and achieving operational excellence."

Astellas Pharma EMEA celebrated its tenth anniversary earlier this year, having been founded in 2005 following the merger of Japanese pharmaceutical companies Yamanouchi and Fujisawa.