BioNTech names new CEO successor
German vaccine manufacturer BioNTech has chosen a successor who will take over as chief executive officer from company co-founder Ugur Sahin, according to DPA.
Guido Oelkers will assume the position no later than February 1, 2027, the German company announced on Monday, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.
Oelkers will join BioNTech from Swedish biopharmaceutical company Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi), where he has served as CEO since 2017.
He specializes in the commercialization of new products, with a particular focus on the U.S. market.
BioNTech became widely known during the coronavirus pandemic after developing a successful COVID-19 vaccine. The company has announced plans to secure approvals for several cancer treatments by 2030.
Although the Mainz-based company earned billions of euros from its COVID-19 vaccine, it later reported financial losses.
In May 2026, BioNTech announced plans to close several production facilities in Germany and Singapore, as well as manufacturing sites acquired from competitor CureVac. Media reports said around 1,860 jobs could be affected.
Ugur Sahin and his wife, Özlem Türeci, previously announced that they would leave BioNTech by the end of 2026 to establish a new company.
They plan to focus on developing a new generation of medicines based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology while remaining shareholders in BioNTech.
According to BioNTech, the search for a successor to Özlem Türeci, who is also a member of the company's management board, is continuing as planned.
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