West Pharma names former Thermo Fisher executive Lagarde as CEO

West Pharmaceutical Services

01/06/2026 22:20

    June 1 (Reuters) - West Pharmaceutical WST.N said on Monday it appointed former Thermo Fisher Scientific TMO.N executive Michel Lagarde as its top boss, effective August 31, succeeding longtime chief Eric Green. 
Green, who has led the medical equipment ​maker since 2015 and became board chair in 2022, had said in March he would step down once a successor was found.
Lagarde most recently served as chief operating officer at Thermo, with responsibility for the majority of the company's businesses. 
He joined Thermo Fisher in 2017 through its acquisition of Patheon, where he had served as president and chief operating officer.
Lagarde will also join West Pharma's board, while lead independent director Robert Friel will become board chair as part of the transition.

        "We think Michel Lagarde checks all of the boxes in terms of qualifications that WST was looking for in a new leader with flying colors,"  Evercore ISI analyst Daniel Markowitz said.
      

        West Pharma said last month it had ​restored operations across its sites after a cybersecurity attack and expects the incident to have no material impact on its 2026 financial outlook.

 (Reporting by Kunal Das in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas)
 ((Kunal.Das2@thomsonreuters.com;))