Phil Krzyzek was elected president of INFARMA's Board of Directors in December 2024. The election of the new CEO follows the resignation of Agnieszka Grzybowska-Zalewska, who had held the position since June 2023.
There is a new president of INFARMA
Published Dec. 20, 2024 09:14
The resignation of the incumbent president is related to a change in career plans. Board members also elected Cristiano Costanzo to the position of vice president and Piotr Debski to the position of treasurer, who will replace in this place Michal Čuha, who is leaving the Board also due to a change in career plans. The changes take effect on Jan. 1, 2025, and the term of the Board in this composition expires in June 2025.
Phil Krzyzek is managing director at Merck Ltd. He is an experienced and successful commercial healthcare expert with nearly 30 years of experience in pharmaceuticals, CSOs and patient healthcare. He has held senior positions in sales, marketing, business development and general management in a variety of products and services, roles, sectors and types of organizations, from start-ups to blue chips.
Phil Krzyzek, as INFARMA's newly elected CEO, takes the helm at an important time for the industry as Poland's presidency of the EU Council begins. Among other things, it will be marked by further consultations as part of the legislative process for the first review of EU pharmaceutical legislation in 20 years, which will affect the development of and access to innovative therapies for decades to come. Another challenge will also be the amendment of the Reimbursement Act, which will go to public consultation in a few weeks.
- This is a great honor for me and a sign of trust, for which I thank all members of the Board. I am extremely looking forward to our work together. The next 6 months will be a huge challenge for us, both in the area of EU and Polish legislation. I am convinced that it is the innovation industry that will play an important role in the public debate during this period. The Polish presidency also presents a unique opportunity to reopen the discussion on EU health security. The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has emphatically shown us that security is not only about stable and uninterrupted European supply chains, but also about the good health of populations and well-organized and well-functioning health systems. Referring directly to health priorities, I would like to emphasize that without improving efficiency - with such negative forecasts for the development of civilization diseases and aging societies - the current health care systems may not be able to cope. The condition of societies and the economy will also be affected. I believe that as an innovation industry we have a lot to offer here, and that the Polish presidency will be a strong impulse for the development of innovation and increasing Europe's competitiveness, according to the conclusions of Mario Draghi's report.
- I would also like to thank Agnieszka Grzybowska-Zalewska for her commitment and achievements to date, which have prepared our Association for the challenges of the coming months. I wish her continued success," said Phil Krzyzek,CEO of INFARMA.
Agnieszka Grzybowska-Zalewska was elected President of INFARMA in June 2023 and held the position during the hectic period of finalizing work on a major amendment to the Pharmaceutical Law and during the first phase of work by the European Commission and the European Parliament on the pharmaceutical package. During this time, INFARMA undertook a number of initiatives and activities to support dialogue with all stakeholders in the system, policymakers and the pharmaceutical industry in Poland and Europe on the opportunities and risks of the reform. In addition, a number of important projects were continued, which were positively received, i.e., the PACJENCI.PRO Program, which supports the development of
competencies and independence of patient organizations. It also developed the Access Gap online platform, which has been expanded to include the Polish Refund Radar and analyzes real-time data on the availability of innovative medicines in Poland and the Visegrad Group countries. It has held dozens of meetings and conversations building a positive atmosphere of openness and dialogue on the future of research into innovative therapies in Poland and Europe.
- Serving as INFARMA's president has been one of the most interesting experiences and challenges of my professional life, and I am glad to have been able to participate at such an interesting time, with such interesting and experienced people. At a time of so many challenges for the innovation industry in the background, many changes and geopolitical crises, I feel that I have made a contribution to solidifying the leading role of the innovation industry, which is no longer only necessary for the development of medicine and the treatment of patients, but also for the prevention of crises such as the one we experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pharmaceutical law reform will be a fundamental change that will either give impetus or inhibit the development of research in Europe. I would like to thank all the members of the Board of Directors and the Director and staff of INFARMA for their partnership and the many inspirations that have supported the realization of our goals. I wish Phil that his actions will help support the Polish Presidency in such a way that it will be a new opening in the European Commission's policy that will give a strong impetus to innovation and increase Europe's competitiveness for years to come. - said Agnieszka Grzybowska-Zalewska.
The Board of Directors also elected Cristiano Costanzo to the position of Vice Chairman of the Board. Cristiano Costanzo has been vice president and general manager of GSK in Poland since November 2022. He has also held senior management positions in sales and marketing at GSK at global and local levels. Cristiano Costanzo graduated from the University of Pisa with a degree in pharmaceutical chemistry and earned an Executive Master in Business Administration from SDA Bocconi in Milan.
Following the resignation of Michal Čuha, CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim Poland, from the position of treasurer, the Board elected Piotr Debski, long-time managing director of Biogen Poland, to the position. The remaining composition of the Board remains unchanged and its term expires in June 2025.
Changes to the composition of INFARMA's Board of Directors take effect on January 1, 2025.
Source: INFARMA
