BioNTech has appointed Guido Oelkers, Ph.D., to its Management Board as Chief Executive Officer, with the transition set to take effect by February 1, 2027 at the latest. Oelkers will succeed co-founder and current CEO Ugur Sahin, M.D., as part of a planned leadership succession approved by the company’s Supervisory Board.
Oelkers joins BioNTech from Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB, where he has served as CEO since 2017. BioNTech said he more than quadrupled Sobi’s revenues over a nine-year period and brings extensive experience leading publicly traded and private equity-backed biopharmaceutical companies in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The company said the appointment was the result of a comprehensive selection process led by the Supervisory Board.
BioNTech said Oelkers will be based at the company’s headquarters in Mainz, Germany, and described him as an accomplished executive with a long record of transforming scientific excellence into commercial success. In the release, Oelkers said BioNTech stands out for its scientific foundation and particularly its strong late-stage oncology pipeline. He added that he is honored to lead the company as it evolves into a global biopharmaceutical company with multiple approved products by 2030.
The company said Sahin will remain involved during the transition, helping guide the handover to the new leadership structure. BioNTech also noted that the appointment comes as it continues to advance its strategy in oncology and other major therapeutic areas.
BioNTech said the move reflects a deliberate leadership evolution rather than an abrupt change, and it follows the company’s broader push to build out its late-stage pipeline and commercial capabilities.
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