Harvard Business Review "100 top CEOs": Lars Rebien Sørensen (NOVO´s CEO) #1

On its annual list of the world’s 100 top CEOs, Harvard Business Review tagged 5 biopharma execs--and one, Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Rebien Sørensen, took the No. 1 slot for the second year in a row. Thing is, two of those 5 are on their way out.

That includes Sørensen, who’s stepping down early, yielding his spot to Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen at the end of this year. And Biogen chief George Scangos, who clocked in at 21st place on HBR’s ranking, has also said he’ll step down, with a replacement yet to be named.

HBR analyzes long-term CEO performance, measuring returns, sustainability and governance over their entire tenure at the helm. In addition to Sørensen and Scangos, the ranking includes Actelion chief Jean-Paul Clozel (59th), Regeneron CEO Leonard Schleifer (67th) and Eisai helmsman Haruo Naito (87th).

 Sørensen has presided over an era of growth and returns at Novo that has far outstripped the industry, and that’s one of the reasons why HBR selected him to lead the list again. But the company’s shares plummeted 20% this summer on worries about payer pressure and pricing. And as HBR spokeswoman Amy Poftak wrote in an email, Sørensen’s departure two years before the end of his contract is “a stark reminder that even spectacular past performance doesn’t ensure job security.”(Más)