WST•WST•West Pharmaceutical Services appointed Michel Lagarde as CEO and Board director effective August 31, 2026, succeeding Eric M. Green, with Robert F. Friel moving to Board Chair. Lagarde brings over a decade's experience leading Thermo Fisher Scientific's Pharma Services division and has overseen operations delivering 41 billion injectable components annually.
Effective August 31, 2026, West Pharmaceutical Services will transition its top leadership as Michel Lagarde assumes the roles of President, CEO and Board director, replacing long-standing CEO Eric M. Green. Concurrently, Lead Independent Director Robert F. Friel will become Board Chair, underscoring a full governance handover and continuity of strategic oversight.
Michel Lagarde joins West with extensive healthcare and life sciences leadership, most recently serving as Executive Vice President and COO at Thermo Fisher Scientific where he oversaw the majority of the company’s businesses. His prior roles include President and COO at Patheon N.V., Managing Director at JLL Partners and twelve years in finance at Philips.
Robert F. Friel, currently Lead Independent Director, will transition to Board Chair on August 31, 2026. Friel’s elevation reflects the board’s confidence in his governance experience and his role in guiding the CEO search, ensuring strategic alignment between management and oversight functions.
West Pharmaceutical Services is a global leader in injectable drug administration solutions, with over 10,000 employees across 50 sites and 26 manufacturing facilities. In fiscal 2025, the company generated $3.07 billion in net sales and delivered more than 41 billion components and devices to support pharmaceutical and biotech customers worldwide.
