Evotec SE CEO Werner Lanthaler notified the company that he will not continue to serve until the end of his current term (March 2026), for personal reasons. The supervisory board has accepted his resignation. Lanthaler will continue to be available as a strategic advisor to the company’s supervisory board. Mario Polywka, former COO and current member of the supervisory board will step in as interim CEO.

In a statement, Lanthaler said, “After an extremely challenging, and also physically and overall, very exhausting 2023, and upon deep reflection in the last weeks and into the new year, I came to the conclusion to step down as CEO, as I could not serve the company to the best of my ability in the coming years. The company is in a very strong position and the teams are delivering excellent work, so that the execution of our long-term strategy is secured and well on track. With PanOmics driven drug-discovery, iPSCs, and Just – Evotec Biologics the company is set up for long-term global leadership and success.”

Lanthaler added: “I want to thank all my co-workers, friends, partners, investors, my management teams, and Supervisory Board for a wonderful and most inspirational time. Building a leading company for external innovation globally is just at the beginning, and I feel that we all made a great start together. Before starting my next entrepreneurial chapter, I intend to take an educational sabbatical over the next six to nine months, focused on disruptive themes in technology and political changes.”