The Lonza Board of Directors today announced the nomination of Stephen Fry as an Independent Member of the Board. Subject to his election at the Lonza Group Annual General Meeting (AGM) in May 2026, Fry will also be appointed a member of the People and Governance Committee and the Audit and Compliance Committee.
Fry brings deep pharmaceutical industry experience, a global leadership perspective and strong expertise to the Board. He spent more than three decades at Eli Lilly and Company, where he held a broad range of international, operational and executive leadership roles, ultimately serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for 12 years. In this role, he led large-scale organizational transformation, shaped high-performance cultures and helped navigate the company through significant change. Fry is also a Member of the Board of Trustees at the University of Indianapolis (US).
Jean-Marc Huet, Chairman of the Board, Lonza, commented: “The Board of Directors extends its warmest congratulations to Stephen for his nomination to the Board. Stephen brings extensive international experience, combined with a strong track record in organizational governance, succession planning and people strategy development, all of which form a valuable complementary fit with the capabilities of our other Board members. Stephen will play an important role in helping develop and embed our performance culture. This will support our ambition to attract and retain world-leading talent and bring our high-performing teams to the next level.”
Lonza is the world’s largest contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) dedicated to serving the healthcare industry. Working across five continents, the Lonza global team of approximately 20,000 colleagues works alongside pharma and biotech companies to turn their breakthrough innovations into viable therapies. This enables customers to bring life-saving and life-enhancing treatments to patients worldwide with a combination of cutting-edge science, smart technology and lean manufacturing. The company generated sales of CHF 6.5 billion with a CORE EBITDA of CHF 2.1 billion in Full-Year 2025. More information is available at www.lonza.com.
The nomination of Fry signals Lonza’s continued focus on strengthening its board with expertise in organizational culture and human resources strategy, areas critical to maintaining its competitive edge in the fast-evolving CDMO landscape. As the company navigates post-pandemic demand shifts and increasing competition, Fry’s experience in leading transformation at a major pharmaceutical firm could prove instrumental in driving Lonza’s performance culture and talent retention efforts. The addition of a seasoned HR leader to the board also underscores the growing importance of human capital management in corporate governance.
Fry’s background at Eli Lilly, where he oversaw global HR operations and organizational change, aligns with Lonza’s strategic priorities to enhance operational efficiency and attract top scientific and managerial talent. His appointment, pending shareholder approval, would fill a critical gap on the board, which currently comprises members with strong financial, scientific, and operational backgrounds but lacks a dedicated HR expert. The move is likely to be welcomed by investors focused on governance and long-term sustainability.
For more details, the original press release can be viewed on www.newmediawire.com.
