LEVERKUSEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Board of Directors of the World Self-Medication Industry (WSMI) -- the global industry trade association for non-prescription drugs and dietary supplements -- today has named as its Chair-Elect Erica Mann, member of the Bayer HealthCare Executive Committee and president of Bayer HealthCare’s Global Consumer Care division. Mann will succeed current Chair Dr. Zhenyu Guo, CEO, Dihon Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, at the completion of his term in June 2014.
The WSMI is a federation of around 50 member associations representing manufacturers and distributors of non-prescription medicines and other self-care products on all continents. WSMI aims to create and maintain an international environment intended to improve the opportunities for people to manage their own health through the responsible use of safe and effective self-medication products. WSMI is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in official relations with the World Health Organization.
“I am honoured to be appointed the incoming WSMI Chair, particularly at a time when consumer self-medication trends have never been stronger, and broadening of non-prescription medicine availability is now under consideration in many parts of the world. In this time of tightening public health budgets, self-medication can empower consumers to take a greater role in the management of their own healthcare while reducing unnecessary physician and hospital visits,” said Mann. “Given today’s evolving regulatory and commercial environments, there is a growing sense that our industry must strengthen its engagement in policy issues on a global level, taking a consumer-centric approach across countries and regions. I look forward to working with my WSMI and industry colleagues, our regulators and policymakers, and other stakeholders to build upon what WSMI has accomplished under Dr. Guo’s leadership to ensure we can develop policies to support health care systems with innovative self-medication offerings.”
Mann has been a member of the Bayer HealthCare Executive Committee and responsible for the Consumer Care division since mid-March 2011. She began her career in the pharmaceutical industry in 1982 at Eli Lilly & Company in South Africa as a medical representative. This was followed by positions in Marketing at Johnson & Johnson and Lederle Laboratories. In 1992 she was appointed as Head of the Lederle Pharmaceutical Business in South Africa and in 1994, Mann transferred to Wyeth as Managing Director for South Africa and Sub-Equatorial Africa. She then held positions of increasing responsibility at the company through 2009. In 2003, she was appointed Managing Director of the Wyeth Australia and New Zealand Affiliate, where she introduced a range of significant medicines and nutritionals. In April 2009 she assumed the role of Senior Vice President for Wyeth’s Global Nutritional Business and in October 2009 she moved to the United States to join Pfizer upon its acquisition of Wyeth where she was most recently President and General Manager for the Nutrition Division and a member of Pfizer’s Senior Management Team.
In addition to currently serving as a WSMI board member, Mann has held executive positions in several industry organizations, including the South African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (PMA) and Medicines Australia, as well as the International Association of Infant Food Manufacturers.
About Bayer HealthCare
The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subgroup of Bayer AG with annual sales of EUR 18.6 billion (2012), is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Medical Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover, develop, manufacture and market products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Bayer HealthCare has a global workforce of 55,300 employees (Dec 31, 2012) and is represented in more than 100 countries. More information at www.healthcare.bayer.com.
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