Sanner strengthens its position as a CDMO

Stefan Verheyden, CEO

Sanner makes crucial decisions for the future: As part of the strategic development towards a CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) for medical technology products and complex pharmaceutical application systems, the company announces a leadership change.

In line with the strategic focus on the CDMO sector, the Sanner Group will now increasingly draw on expertise from the pharmaceutical industry – both operationally and at the leadership level. Accordingly, CEO Dr. Johannis Willem van Vliet will leave the company shortly.

Until the new CEO takes office in fall 2025, Heino Lennartz will serve as interim CEO. Heino Lennartz has extensive knowledge of the pharma and CDMO sectors and, as Chairman, is already deeply familiar with the processes and activities of the Sanner Group. He will temporarily assume responsibility for the management and support the future CEO during the handover.

The new CEO will be Stefan Verheyden. The trained chemist has been active in the pharma and biopharma industries for over 30 years and also has extensive experience in primary packaging. Most recently, he was Global Vice President of Sales Pharma and Biopharma Injectables at a leading company in primary packaging and contract manufacturing.

“We are very pleased to welcome Mr. Verheyden as an experienced CEO to the Sanner Group. His many years of expertise and his recognition in the industry will benefit us greatly in both the packaging and CDMO sectors,” says Heino Lennartz.

“We thank Johannis Willem van Vliet for his commitment and his significant contributions during an important phase of our company,” Lennartz continues. “He has initiated key steps to position the Sanner Group as a globally operating supplier to the MedTech and pharmaceutical industries. These include, in particular, the acquisitions of Springboard and Gilero, as well as the successful commissioning of our new production sites in Bensheim and Greensboro.”