The Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) announces the election of Dr. Danie du Plessis as Chair of the MAPS Board of Directors. Du Plessis is currently Executive Vice-President (EVP) & Head of Medical Affairs at Kyowa Kirin International and is a senior pharmaceutical executive with 30 years’ experience. He follows Dr. Charlotte Kremer, former EVP & Head of Medical Affairs (retired), Astellas, who now rejoins the MAPS Board after the end of her second term as Board Chair. In addition, Kremer will continue as MAPS Chief Strategy Officer. All are volunteer positions.

“I’m incredibly honored to follow Charlotte in this important role. As an organization, MAPS has the opportunity to speak as the voice of Medical Affairs as the profession continues to grow into an increasingly strategic role in the biopharmaceutical and MedTech industries. It is my privilege to help guide this growth toward a modern vision of the function in which Medical Affairs sits alongside development and commercialization efforts, while focusing on improving patient outcomes as well as Health Equity,” du Plessis says.

Du Plessis has served previously on the MAPS Board of Directors and as co-Chair of the MAPS Learning & Development Committee. He has a passion for modernizing Medical Affairs and track record in leadership, people development, capability building and coaching. He is a qualified MD with a Masters in Clinical Pharmacology who combines medical and life science qualifications with an MBA. Du Plessis has extensive experience building international teams, driving change and working in regulated markets for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) across Europe, the Americas, Middle East, Africa, Australasia and Japan. He previously worked for Eli Lilly & Company for 17 years in different medical roles as well as marketing and sales. During these different roles, he was based in South Africa, United Kingdom and Australia. Before joining the pharmaceutical industry, du Plessis had his own primary care practice.

“Danie is an excellent leader with the ability to drive positive change not only for the MAPS organization but for the profession as a whole,” says outgoing Board Chair, Charlotte Kremer. “I can’t think of a more important time to have an experienced leader setting the direction for MAPS and for all of us who work in Medical Affairs.”

The MAPS Board of Directors is composed of 14 senior leaders from across the biopharmaceutical and MedTech industries, globally. Working solely in volunteer capacity, the Board determines MAPS’ mission and purpose, sets strategic direction, ensures effective long-range planning, and assesses the organization’s performance in achieving its mission and strategic direction.