Wayne Pisano

President and Chief Executive Officer, Sanofi-Pasteur, France

Session

He participated in the "Public private partnerships: a driving force for the future?" session.

Biography

Wayne F. Pisano is President and Chief Executive Officer of sanofi pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group. The company is headquartered in Lyon, France, and has major operations in Swiftwater, Pennsylvania; Toronto, Canada; and Marcy L’Etoile and Val de Reuil, France. Sanofi pasteur is present in over 100 countries. 

Pisano has extensive experience in corporate strategy, commercial operations, public immunization policies, and the management of partnerships and joint ventures.

Pisano laid the foundation for the company’s global pediatric vaccines strategy, identifying future needs and ensuring strong growth in markets beyond North America and Europe.  He is credited with sanofi pasteur’s leading the worldwide influenza vaccine market with over 40 percent of global sales.  Since he joined the company, sanofi pasteur has strengthened its position as a world leader in the vaccine industry, offering the broadest range of vaccines that protect against 20 infectious diseases. Sanofi pasteur is the largest company dedicated entirely to human vaccines.

Under Pisano’s leadership, two key sanofi pasteur products--Fluzone® (influenza virus vaccine), and IPOL® (poliovirus vaccine inactivated) each achieved milestone sales levels in the United States. He has also led the market expansion for Menomune- A/C/Y/W-135 (meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine), for immunizing college students, setting the stage for the U.S. launch of Menactra® (Meningococcal Conjugate vaccine) in March of 2005.

He joined sanofi pasteur as Vice President, U.S. Marketing in 1997 and was promoted to Senior Vice President of Marketing & Sales in 1998.  Pisano was instrumental in reorganizing the Marketing & Sales Department as well as meeting the challenges of the U.S. product line and market base.  Sales increased over 180 percent during the five years that Pisano was leading marketing and sales in the U.S.

In 2002, Pisano was promoted to Executive Vice President of sanofi pasteur North America.  In 2003, he was promoted to Senior Vice President, Global Commercial Operations; in 2006, his responsibilities were expanded to include Corporate Strategy. 

From 2003 to 2006, Pisano led the development and implementation of sanofi pasteur’s commercial strategy to ensure the company’s profitable growth.  His responsibilities also included overseeing the activities of sanofi pasteur MSD, a 50-50 joint venture between sanofi pasteur and Merck & Co., which markets sanofi pasteur vaccines in 19 countries in Europe.

Pisano joined sanofi pasteur after 11 years with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (formerly Sandoz), where he was Vice President of the Wound Management Unit. 

Pisano, 54, holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from St. John Fisher College, Rochester, New York, and an MBA from the University of Dayton, Ohio.  He is married with three children.