Baxter appoints new international president

Baxter has announced the appointment of Jean-Luc Butel as its new corporate vice-president and president of international operations.

Mr Butel joins the company after previously occupying a similar role at medical technology firm Medtronic and will report directly to chairman and chief executive officer Robert Parkinson Jr.

His career with Medtronic dates back to 2003 and encompasses a number of senior management positions, while he has also worked with Johnson and Johnson for 13 years and BD for eight years.

Mr Butel's appointment comes at a time when Baxter is aiming to utilise geographic expansion as a central driver of business growth.

"Jean-Luc brings significant international expertise to Baxter and he will be a tremendous asset to the company in his new role leading our international business," said Mr Parkinson.

Last month, the company announced plans to ally with Momenta Pharmaceuticals to develop a number of biosimilar products, an area that has been identified as holding significant growth potential.