Following the news that longtime helmsman Paul Chaplin would be hanging up his hat at Bavarian Nordic earlier this year, the Danish vaccine maker has found a CEO replacement whose CV spans leadership roles across Sanofi, AstraZeneca and Pfizer.
Up next to take the reins is Tarja Stenvall, who will officially assume the CEO title at Bavarian Nordic on Oct. 15. Stenvall will oversee an executive management team that also consists of CFO Henrik Juuel, Chief Commercial Officer Jean-Christophe May and operating chief Russell Thirsk, according to a Sept. 17 release.
Most recently, Stenvall was senior VP and head of global franchises for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at French pharma juggernaut Sanofi, where Bavarian notes she helped lead global portfolio strategy and “long-term planning for a €10B franchise.” At Sanofi, Stenvall also held prior leadership posts for key markets in general medicines, Europe and Latin America, where she served as vice president for vaccines.
That particular role—in which Stenvall helped “secure Sanofi’s largest global private-public partnership”—should directly translate to her new position at the vaccine-focused Bavarian Nordic, which markets prophylactics against smallpox and mpox, chikungunya virus, rabies and other conditions.
“The opportunity to join Bavarian Nordic is tremendously exciting,” Stenvall said in a statement Thursday, adding that she was attracted to the company thanks to its “unique combination of a strong scientific foundation, a proven global manufacturing and supply chain and commercial platform.
“Throughout my career in the life sciences and vaccine industry, I have been passionate about translating scientific innovation into meaningful patient impact by building global organizations and delivering long-term value and sustainable growth,” she continued. “I believe the company has a strong foundation for its next phase of growth, and I am excited by the opportunity to expand the global impact of Bavarian Nordic's vaccines while continuing to strengthen the company's position as a leading global vaccine company.”
Bavarian Nordic has had a leadership gap to fill since early March, when outgoing chief executive Chaplin telegraphed plans to exit the company after roughly 12 years as CEO. At the time, Chaplin said he was stepping down to honor his family’s wishes to return to Australia. Meanwhile, Bavarian Nordic noted that he would continue his role through 2026, or until a replacement was found.
Chaplin’s planned departure was notable not just because of his extended tenure as Bavarian Nordic’s leader, but also because it came just several months after the company’s board chair departed last November following a failed private equity takeover bid.
Chaplin had hoped that a buyout of the company could infuse Bavarian Nordic with extra cash to realize its full potential. The deal to sell the company to a private equity consortium failed to take off, however, when it couldn’t muster enough shareholder support.
Though that event may have slightly tarnished the final months of Chaplin’s tenure, he nevertheless had a major hand in transforming Bavarian Nordic from a small, research-based company into a large vaccine maker playing in multiple markets.
Within the past few years, the company received a tailwind when its vaccine Jynneos became a key tool for prevention during a global outbreak of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox).
Chaplin was also instrumental in Bavarian Nordic’s 2023 acquisition of Emergent BioSolutions’ travel vaccine portfolio, endowing it with an asset that eventually won FDA approval as the chikungunya virus vaccine Vimkunya.
In welcoming Stenvall, Bavarian Nordic’s board chair, Anne Louise Eberhard, also took time to reflect on Chaplin’s contributions to the company, noting that his “profound impact” has put the company in a position to make health impacts on a global scale.
“Bavarian Nordic is entering the next chapter from a position of strength,” Eberhard explained. “We have a clear purpose, and we will continue to scale our unique platform addressing infectious disease and improve the resilience of public health.”