Born in 1960, Christopher A. Viehbacher, of German & Canadian origins has had a distinguished career rising quickly through the industry before becoming CEO, Sanofi, in December 2008.

A graduate of Queens University (Ontario, Canada), Chris began his career at PriceWaterhouseCoopers as a certified public accountant. In 1988 he joined the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) company and over the next twenty years acquired broad international experience in Europe, the United States and Canada. His last position in GSK was as President, Pharmaceutical Operations North America, a member of the board and Co-Chairman of the Portfolio Management Board.

In addition to CEO, Sanofi, Chris is a board member and sits on the Strategy Committee. He is also President and CEO of Genzyme, acquired in April 2011.

Since December 2010, Chris is Chairman of PhRMA in the United States and was elected Chair of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer in February 2011. He was made a knight of the French Legion of Honor in 2003.