Today during its Shareholders' Meeting, Menarini, the leading multinational drug company in Italy, appointed its new Board of Directors.

Together with Lucia and Alberto Giovanni Aleotti, confirmed as President and Vice President, and members Juerg Witmer and Domenico Simone, Eric Cornut joins the Board as its new independent member.  Three members out of five are now external to corporate ownership. 

Eric Cornut, an experienced figure in the global pharmaceutical industry, followed a brilliant career in Novartis, one of the world's leading research companies with an important focus on oncology – an area where Menarini strongly dedicates its research - in addition to the cardiology and respiratory sectors.

At Novartis Eric Cornut was worldwide Chief Commercial Officer and Global Chief Ethics, Compliance and Policy Officer.  He also served at Interpharma, the Swiss association of pharmaceutical research companies, and on the Executive Committee of EFPIA, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, where he was also Director General.

Lucia Aleotti, President of Menarini: "We are certain that the addition of Eric Cornut as Member of the Board will strengthen our company’s know-how and further enable us to face the challenges of international competition.  Eric has a vast experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including the oncology sector, and holds recognized independence, in line with our goal of a qualitatively high-level and diverse composition of our Board." "Furthermore," continues Aleotti, "his professional experience in global pharmaceutical compliance, along with his legal background, is in line with Menarini's philosophy based on respect for regulations and ethical codes of conduct worldwide."  

Menarini's governance is therefore reinforced with five Members of the Board.  Eric Cornut is the third member to be external to company ownership, together with Juerg Witmer, appointed in 2013, well-known and highly knowledgeable of the Asian pharmaceutical sector, and Domenico Simone, who joined the Board in 2014 after a long career at Menarini at top-level positions with great knowledge of the company's competitive characteristics at the international level.