- Victor Grifols Roura, who devoted 50 years to building Grifols in senior roles including CEO for 30 years, retires as non-executive Chairperson and is designated as Chairperson of Honor in recognition of his numerous contributions
- Steven F. Mayer, former Co-Head of Global Private Equity and Chairman of the Investment Committee of private investment firm Cerberus Capital Management, L.P., with more than 10 years serving as a Grifols independent board member, is appointed as Executive Chairperson
- Changes further evidence of the Board of Directors’ focus on strategic objectives, operational excellence, and deleveraging balance sheet
Grifols announced changes to its leadership team, appointing Mr. Steven F. Mayer as Executive Chairperson while Mr. Victor Grifols Roura retired as Chairperson and was named Chairperson of Honor. Both changes are effective immediately.
These unanimously approved appointments are evidence of the Board’s commitment to reinforce Grifols’ leadership; to accelerate the execution of the company’s strategic plan; to continue a focus on operational excellence; and to increase value for all shareholders, with emphasis on the reduction of debt levels and the improvement of the company’s cash flow profile.
“I have spent most of my adult life actively leading Grifols, and with the company fundamentally solid and in the hands of strong leaders it was time for me to retire. It has been an honor to chair the Grifols Board and manage the company for so many years. I have known Steven since he joined our Board upon our acquisition of Talecris in 2011 and know that his experience, insights, skill set, deep knowledge, and significant capital markets expertise will be valuable assets to our management team as he helps lead Grifols forward”, said Mr. Victor Grifols Roura, now Chairperson of Honor of Grifols’ Board of Directors.
“It is a privilege to follow Victor as chairperson of this substantial, global healthcare company, and I am eagerly looking forward to taking on this role at such an important time for Grifols. Although Victor’s shoes will be impossible to fill, I am thrilled to work alongside the Board, the co-CEOs and the entire management team, using my expertise to help them achieve the company’s strategic goals and focus on operational excellence; sustainable growth in revenue, profitability, and cash flow; and strengthening the company’s balance sheet. Of equal importance to me is ensuring that the company’s core values of integrity, respect, inclusion, and sustainability that Victor established and invariably adhered to, as well as its commitment to the health and wellbeing of patients worldwide, will continue to guide the company and its entire team going forward,” said Mr. Steven F. Mayer, now Executive Chairperson of Grifols’ Board of Directors.
Mr. Mayer has extensive knowledge and experience in the healthcare sector and is well-acquainted with the plasma-derived protein therapeutics industry, having led the team that acquired and carved out Talecris Biotherapeutics from Bayer Healthcare, then grew the company’s revenues and employee base and dramatically improved its profitability and cash flow until its merger with Grifols in 2011, at which time he joined the Grifols Board. In addition to the Grifols Board, he has served on boards of directors or equivalent bodies of over 30 other public and private companies in a variety of industries. Before his 2018 retirement from Cerberus, which today manages approximately US$60 billion of capital, as Senior Managing Director, Co-Head of Global Private Equity and Chairman of its Investment Committee, Mr. Mayer focused on opportunities to improve portfolio companies’ competitiveness and value through operational planning and execution as well as strategic initiatives and financial discipline.
In parallel, Mr. Victor Grifols Roura will continue to be a member of Grifols’ Board of Directors and a valuable resource as “proprietary director” and has also been appointed as Chairperson of Honor due to his invaluable contributions, steadfast leadership and extraordinary dedication to the company.
“It is impossible to say enough about what Victor has meant to Grifols and its entire ecosystem, and especially to the patients whose lives the company improved, around the world” said Carina Szpilka, Lead Independent Director on Grifols’ Board of Directors. “Victor was the man responsible for taking Grifols from a small, primarily Spanish company 20 years ago and, through his vision, passion, expertise, and leadership, turning it into the global, multi-billion Euro healthcare leader it has become today. The entire Board is grateful to Victor and determined to honor his legacy by capitalizing on the company’s many strengths and the industry’s momentum while overseeing the management team’s continued execution on its strategic plan. We know that appointing Steven as Executive Chairperson will facilitate accomplishment of these goals. He has the full support of all board members and our commitment to rigorous governance practices.”
Grifols’ co-CEO’s, Victor Grifols Deu and Raimon Grifols Roura, also commented on the appointments. “Victor has always inspired us and served as our role model as we have led the company over the last five years, which included the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic from which the company is rapidly recovering. We have also long admired Steven both for what he and his team accomplished at Talecris and for his insights and contributions while serving on our Board. We are excited about introducing him to our broader team of world-class management and employees, and about working together with him to drive value for all constituents through a continued laser focus on our strategic plan, on operational execution, and on deleveraging our balance sheet.”
Source: Grifols
