Alvotech Appoints Founder Robert Wessman as CEO, Names Hafrun Fridriksdottir COO
Alvotech has appointed founder Robert Wessman as its new Chief Executive Officer, replacing Mark Levick. Hafrun Fridriksdottir joins as Chief Operating Officer.
Alvotech, a global biotechnology company focused on biosimilar medicines, announced leadership changes effective January 1, 2023. Mark Levick has decided to step down as Chief Executive Officer, and Robert Wessman, the company's founder and Executive Chairman, will assume the CEO role.
In conjunction with these changes, Alvotech has appointed Hafrun Fridriksdottir as its new Chief Operating Officer. Fridriksdottir joins Alvotech from Teva Pharmaceuticals, where she served as Executive Vice President and Head of Global R&D. Her appointment aligns with the company's transition from R&D and platform building to commercial operations, manufacturing scale-up, and global market sales.
Wessman, who founded Alvotech in 2013, brings extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having previously led Actavis and Alvogen. He will now guide the company through its next phase of growth. Fridriksdottir's background includes leadership roles in global pharmaceutical development, overseeing extensive pipelines of generic, biosimilar, and innovative medicines at Teva.
The company also expressed gratitude to Mark Levick for his contributions to Alvotech's development into a commercial entity. Levick will continue to serve on the company's scientific advisory board.