CSL Announces Next CEO Managing Director

Dr Paul McKenzie appointed Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of CSL from 6 March 2023

MELBOURNE, Australia, Dec. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of CSL Limited (ASX:CSL; USOTC:CSLLY) today announces that it has appointed Dr Paul McKenzie as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director of CSL from 6 March 2023. 

Paul McKenzie

Dr McKenzie will succeed Mr Paul Perreault, who has advised the Board of his intention to retire after serving 10 years in the role, and more than 25 years with the company.  Dr McKenzie has been appointed following a thorough process conducted by the Board. 

Currently serving as CSL's Chief Operating Officer (COO), Dr McKenzie, will immediately join the Board of Directors as an Executive Director and will become CEO and Managing Director on 6 March 2023.  Mr Perreault will step down as CEO and from the CSL Board of Directors on 6 March 2023 and he will remain with the company as a strategic adviser to assist in an orderly transition until he retires on 6 September 2023. 

Dr McKenzie has more than 30 years of leadership experience in the global biotechnology industry, including managing complex organisations through compelling growth and transformation. Since joining CSL as COO in 2019, Dr McKenzie has been accountable for optimising CSL's operations as well as growing the CSL Seqirus, CSL Plasma, and CSL Vifor businesses. He transformed CSL's global end-to-end operations, advanced CSL Seqirus' differentiated portfolio strategy, and led CSL Plasma through COVID-19 challenges while surpassing plasma collection volumes beyond pre-pandemic levels.

Prior to joining CSL, Dr McKenzie was Executive Vice President of Pharmaceutical Operations & Technology at Biogen. He also served in a range of progressively senior level roles in R&D and manufacturing at Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck.

CSL Chair Dr Brian McNamee said, "Paul McKenzie is a patient-focused global leader with a demonstrated track record of leading complex organisations and delivering outstanding business results. With his deep understanding of CSL's strategy, culture and operations, Paul is well positioned to lead CSL to its next level of sustainable growth for our shareholders and the patients we serve around the world."

Dr McKenzie said, "CSL's promise to save people's lives through science has long distinguished our company. I am excited, honoured and humbled for the opportunity to continue building CSL's legacy following the strong foundation established by Paul Perreault over the last decade.  I look forward to continuing our momentum and engaging closely with the Board, our leadership team, 30,000 colleagues, and other stakeholders to serve patients and public health around the world. We will continue focusing on executing our 2030 strategy, investing in innovation, and continue achieving sustainable and profitable growth."

Dr McNamee recognised Mr. Perreault for his leadership as CEO since 2013: "The Board and I want to acknowledge the remarkable leadership of Paul Perreault as CEO for 10 years.  With Paul at the helm, CSL delivered sustainable growth and innovation with a patient-focused culture. Thanks to Paul's leadership, CSL today has grown to become a global leader, delivering shareholder value and industry-leading life-saving medicines to people in more than 100 countries."

Mr Perreault said, "Leading CSL during the last decade has been a privilege as we grew, innovated, and globalised to new levels – all while fostering a values-based culture focused on our promise to patients and public health around the world.  In working closely with Dr McKenzie for more than three years, I am confident he will continue to innovate and build on CSL's track record of growth for years to come."

About CSL

CSL (ASX:CSL; USOTC:CSLLY) is a leading global biotechnology company with a dynamic portfolio of lifesaving medicines, including those that treat haemophilia and immune deficiencies, vaccines to prevent influenza, and therapies in iron deficiency, dialysis and nephrology. Since our start in 1916, we have been driven by our promise to save lives using the latest technologies. Today, CSL – including our three businesses, CSL Behring, CSL Seqirus and CSL Vifor – provides lifesaving products to patients in more than 100 countries and employs 30,000 people. Our unique combination of commercial strength, R&D focus and operational excellence enables us to identify, develop and deliver innovations so our patients can live life to the fullest. For inspiring stories about the promise of biotechnology, visit CSLBehring.com/Vita and follow us on Twitter.com/CSL.

For more information about CSL, visit www.CSL.com.

Paul McKenzie biography

Paul McKenzie, who earned his PhD in engineering, was appointed CSL's Chief Operating Officer in June 2019.  The role of Chief Operating Officer includes responsibility for CSL Seqirus, CSL Plasma, CSL Vifor businesses as well as CSL's manufacturing, quality, engineering, environment, health & safety, supply chain and procurement.

Paul is an accomplished global leader with diverse biotechnology experience across the industry. Prior to joining CSL, he served as Executive Vice President of Pharmaceutical Operations & Technology at Biogen where he was responsible for asset management, technical development, global manufacturing, supply chain operations, quality, and engineering.

With more than 30 years of experience, Paul also held various senior roles in R&D and manufacturing for Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck. 

Paul was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2020. He has served on numerous professional and academic boards, most recently the Board of Trustees on the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Society for Biological Engineering. Paul holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Career history:

2019 – present: Chief Operating Officer CSL

2016 - 2019: Executive Vice President of Pharmaceutical Operations & Technology, Biogen

2008 – 2016: Johnson & Johnson

1998 – 2008: Bristol-Myers Squibb

1992 – 1998: Merck

Media Contact

Jimmy BakerCommunications – Asia PacificMobile: +61450 909 211Jimmy.Baker@csl.com.au

Tom HushenCommunications – Rest of WorldMobile: 267-769-6728thomas.hushen@cslbehring.com