Lonza Nominates Pharmaceutical Veteran Stephen Fry to Board of Directors

The Lonza Board of Directors announced the nomination of Stephen Fry as an Independent Member of the Board, with his election scheduled for the Lonza Group Annual General Meeting in May 2026. Subject to his election, Fry will also be appointed a member of the People and Governance Committee and the Audit and Compliance Committee, positioning him to influence both human capital strategy and financial oversight at one of the world's leading healthcare contract development and manufacturing organizations.

This nomination matters because it strengthens Lonza's governance with specialized pharmaceutical industry expertise at a time when the company is navigating complex market dynamics and organizational challenges. Fry brings more than three decades of experience from Eli Lilly and Company, where he held various international, operational and executive leadership roles, ultimately serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for twelve years. During his tenure, he led large-scale organizational transformation, shaped high-performance cultures, and helped navigate significant corporate change—all skills directly applicable to Lonza's current strategic priorities.

Jean-Marc Huet, Chairman of the Board at Lonza, emphasized the strategic importance of this nomination, stating that Fry brings extensive international experience combined with a strong track record in organizational governance, succession planning and people strategy development. These capabilities represent a valuable complementary fit with existing board members and will support Lonza's ambition to attract and retain world-leading talent while elevating its high-performing teams. As the world's largest contract development and manufacturing organization dedicated to serving the healthcare industry, Lonza's ability to maintain competitive advantage depends significantly on its organizational culture and governance structures.

The appointment signals Lonza's commitment to strengthening its board with independent directors who possess deep industry-specific knowledge and transformation experience. Fry's background in pharmaceutical human resources and organizational development comes at a critical juncture for Lonza, which employs approximately 20,000 colleagues across five continents and generated sales of CHF 6.5 billion with a CORE EBITDA of CHF 2.1 billion in Full-Year 2025. His expected committee assignments—spanning both people governance and audit compliance—reflect the interconnected nature of organizational culture and financial performance in the highly regulated pharmaceutical sector.

This board nomination carries implications for Lonza's strategic direction as it continues to work alongside pharma and biotech companies to turn breakthrough innovations into viable therapies. The company's success depends on maintaining operational excellence while adapting to evolving customer needs and market conditions. Fry's experience in navigating organizational change at Eli Lilly provides relevant insights for Lonza's own transformation initiatives, particularly as the healthcare industry faces increasing pressure to accelerate drug development while managing costs. Additional information about Lonza's operations and financial performance is available at https://www.lonza.com.

The nomination also reinforces the importance of independent board oversight in publicly traded healthcare companies, particularly those like Lonza that are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange with a secondary listing on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited. Fry's expected contributions to both the People and Governance Committee and the Audit and Compliance Committee will help ensure robust oversight mechanisms as Lonza executes its strategic objectives. His additional role as a Member of the Board of Trustees at the University of Indianapolis further demonstrates his commitment to organizational governance beyond the corporate sector.