Julien Sauvagnargues takes over as president and CEO, reporting to Olympus Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) Gabriela Kaynor. The change went into effect today after former OCA CEO and Olympus global COO Nacho Abia took the CEO role at Grifols.
Abia took to LinkedIn to mark the end of his 23-year tenure at Olympus and the beginning of his time at Grifols.
“With both companies boasting over a century of innovation experience and a shared passion for enhancing the quality of life for patients, I am deeply grateful to Olympus for an amazing journey, and I am immensely excited and thrilled to embark on this new chapter at Grifols, working alongside their dedicated team of over 24,000 employees to further our mission together,” he wrote. “I wish the best to Olympus and all my friends there, and I am very much looking forward to getting to know my new Grifols colleagues and building an even greater Grifols together!”
Abia became OCA CEO in 2015 before his promotion to executive officer and COO for the company’s global operations in 2020. He also served on the company’s board of directors.
Sauvagnargues began his career at Olympus, becoming OCA president in 2020. His new role includes overseeing activities throughout North and South America. As CEO, he also joins the board of directors at trade association AdvaMed.
“We cannot be grateful enough for Nacho’s 23-year tenure with this company,” said Stefan Kaufmann, CEO, Olympus Corporation. “We will miss him greatly, but also we’re delighted that Julien will take the reins for the many exciting initiatives to come.”
