PARIS-- Sanofi SA Chief Executive Christopher Viehbacher has
relocated to Boston from Paris, the company said Tuesday,
challenging France's desire to maintain a grip on its national
champions.
"This was a personal family decision that won't impact Sanofi's
operations," a spokesman for the drug maker said, confirming an
article in French daily Le Monde.
Mr. Viehbacher's relocation could rekindle government concerns
that France is losing ground in keeping decision-making centers in
Paris. His move comes as the French government is fighting to
prevent Alstom, the energy and industrial engineering giant, from
falling largely into foreign hands.
Alstom is reviewing a $17 billion bid by General Electric Co. of
the U.S. for its entire energy operations.
The Sanofi spokesman said company headquarters would remain in
France.
The appointment of Mr. Viehbacher, a German-Canadian, as Sanofi
CEO in December 2008 was presented as a major cultural shift to
internationalize the French company, which had always been run by
homegrown managers.
Write to Noémie Bisserbe at noemie.bisserbe@wsj.com
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