AstraZeneca PLC announced today that Non-Executive Directors Geneviève Berger and Graham Chipchase intend to retire from the Board at the conclusion of the Company's Annual General Meeting on 30 April 2021. By that date, each will have served on the Board for nine years.
All other Non-Executive Directors will present themselves for election or re-election at the AGM, including Leif Johansson, Non-Executive Chairman, as will Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer and Marc Dunoyer, Chief Financial Officer.
Mr Johansson was first elected to the Board in April 2012 and will have served as a Director for nine years by April 2021. In December 2020, the Company announced it had entered into a definitive agreement with Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for AstraZeneca to acquire Alexion. Subject to the satisfaction of the closing conditions, which include approval by AstraZeneca and Alexion shareholders and obtaining relevant regulatory clearances, the proposed acquisition is expected to close in Q3 2021. The Board believes it would be in the best interests of shareholders for Mr Johansson to seek re-election at the AGM in April and continue to serve as Chairman, to lead the Board's oversight of completion of the proposed acquisition.