• Bertha Steinmetz Vilela will join Lonza as Chief Human Resources Officer, Executive Vice President and member of the Executive Committee, effective 1 January 2027.
• Bertha brings extensive international HR leadership experience across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and manufacturing.
• Together with the recent additions of Samanta Cimitan, Matt Moorcroft and Hans Trees, this appointment further strengthens executive leadership in support of Lonza’s strategic priorities.

Basel, Switzerland, 12 November 2026 – Lonza, the world’s leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announced today the appointment of Bertha Steinmetz Vilela as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), Executive Vice President and member of the Executive Committee. Bertha will join Lonza on 1 January 2027 and succeed Nicoleta Baumgärtner, who has been with the company for more than five years, serving as Chief Human Resources Officer and member of the Executive Committee since 2024, and decided to pursue a new opportunity outside of Lonza.

In this role, Bertha will lead Lonza’s global human resources (HR) function, strengthen organizational effectiveness and leadership capabilities to enable business performance, while continuing to advance the company’s cultural transformation and talent agenda. This latest addition to Lonza’s Executive Committee is part of the wider evolution of Lonza's senior leadership team, including the recent appointments of Samanta Cimitan as Chief Commercial Officer, Matt Moorcroft as Chief Intelligence & Analytics Officer and Hans Trees as Global Head of Communications, all three as members of the Extended Executive Committee.

Wolfgang Wienand, Chief Executive Officer, Lonza, commented: "I am very pleased to welcome Bertha to Lonza. As we continue to build and drive the transformation of One Lonza, her experience will help us strengthen our high performance culture and further develop the leadership capabilities that will enable our long-term success. Our people are at the heart of our company, and Bertha will play an important role in further advancing an environment where our teams can perform at their best and deliver for our customers and patients. I would also like to sincerely thank Nicoleta for her leadership and the important contributions she has made across two of our businesses and as Chief Human Resources Officer. After more than five years, she has decided to pursue an opportunity outside of Lonza and I wish her every success for the future."

Bertha currently serves as Head of International Human Resources at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, where she leads HR across Europe, Canada and Japan. Her experience spans organizational transformation, talent and leadership development, culture, and HR business partnering. She has worked closely with global manufacturing, commercial, and technical operations organizations, and previously held senior roles at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Novartis and Sandoz. She has a degree in Business Administration from the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais in Brazil.

Nicoleta joined Lonza in 2021, initially leading HR for the Capsules and Health Ingredients division and later for Biologics. As CHRO, she has helped successfully guide Lonza through significant organizational change and advance its global HR strategy, operating model and agenda. Previously, she held senior roles at Novartis and Roche. She will work closely with Bertha and the HR organization to ensure a smooth transition.

Notes to Editors
A high-resolution image of Bertha Steinmetz Vilela is available here.