Press Room

Press Release / May 04, 2020

Hovione Announces the Appointment of Jean-Luc Herbeaux as Chief Operating Officer

Effective May 1st, 2020

Loures, Portugal, May 4, 2020 – Hovione announced today the appointment of Dr. Jean-Luc Herbeaux as Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective May 1st, 2020. Dr. Herbeaux held, over the past 20 years, multiple high-level leadership positions at Evonik, bringing to Hovione a proven commitment to develop a successful and globally active business. Based in Lisbon, Portugal, Dr. Herbeaux will work directly with Mr. Guy Villax, Hovione’s Chief Executive Officer, in executing the company’s strategy and vision.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Herbeaux to Hovione. Jean-Luc will oversee all aspects of Hovione’s business operations and I see the creation of this position as another major steppingstone in our journey to become an even stronger company. Our new structure will develop synergies and increase operational efficiency, which will benefit the customers. I am sure this appointment will bring great things to all stakeholders – patients, customers, and team members as well as shareholders. Our leadership team is now well positioned to accelerate our long-term growth plans”, said Mr. Guy Villax.

“I am really excited to take on the COO role at Hovione. Hovione is a company with a great vision, great people and great science and it has an important role in the pharma industry. I look forward to working with Guy and the Hovione Team to bring this already successful company to new heights”, said Dr. Jean-Luc Herbeaux.

Prior to joining Hovione, Dr. Herbeaux headed the Health Care Business Line of Evonik, where he repositioned the business by driving an intentional, sustainable, and profitable growth agenda. His earlier postings, which included senior positions in Europe and Asia, allowed him to develop strong experience in management of complex global organizations.

 

 

About Hovione
Hovione is an international company with 60 years of experience as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and is currently a fully integrated supplier offering services for drug substance, drug product intermediate and drug product. With four FDA inspected sites in the USMacauIreland, and Portugal, and development laboratories in Lisbon and New Jersey, USA, the company provides branded pharmaceutical customers services for the development and cGMP-compliant manufacture of innovative drugs including highly potent compounds. For generic pharmaceutical customers the company offers niche API products. Hovione also provides proprietary product development and licensing opportunities for drug products. In the inhalation area, Hovione is the only independent company offering a complete range of services.

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In an interview with Executiva, a portuguese media outlet focused on women´s leadership, Diane Villax, co-founder and long-standing leader of Hovione, reflects on her journey and the company’s development over more than six decades. Diane Villax’s career began at a time when few women worked outside the home. At 19, she joined a trading company as a foreign languages correspondent, where she developed essential business skills — including commercial correspondence, banking and export procedures — that later proved instrumental in helping her husband, Ivan Villax, establish Hovione in 1959. From its earliest days operating in the family home in Lisbon, Hovione adopted an international outlook. The company’s first major customers were in Japan, setting demanding quality standards that helped shape its long-term position in global markets. Over the following decades, Hovione expanded its footprint with the construction of its first manufacturing site in Loures (1969), followed by expansion to Macau (1986), the United States (New Jersey, early 2000s) and Ireland (Cork). The company grew into a global organization with more than 2,500 employees — including over 300 scientists — and a reputation as a preferred supplier to leading pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Throughout the interview, Diane highlights the values that have guided the company’s development: a commitment to excellence, a strong work ethic, and a focus on quality and long-term relationships. Although she did not have formal business training, she learned “on the job” and brought discipline, precision and structure to her role — particularly in the company’s early financial and administrative leadership. Now in her nineties and an active member of Hovione’s Board of Directors, Diane Villax remains engaged with the company’s evolution and governance, reflecting a continued commitment to its long-term development. Her story reflects entrepreneurial drive, resilience and long-term leadership — and offers insight into the values that have shaped Hovione’s trajectory for more than six decades. Read the full interview at Executiva.pt (in portuguese).    

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