2025 promises to be a pivotal year for Opella — currently the consumer healthcare division of French healthcare giant Sanofi; soon to be carved-out into an independent entity backed by private equity — as the organisation finds its way in a sector where major large-scale traditional pharma organisations have increasingly refocused their business models on Life Sciences, whilst creating space for their former consumer-focused divisions to compete and succeed in the fast-moving consumer health (FMCH) arena.
Adjusting to this new environment requires a change in outlook for Opella, as the challenges facing the company, as well as the strategies that will see it capitalise on new opportunities, are very different to the ones that worked before. Increasingly, Opella’s procurement function has found itself thrust into a pivotal strategic role, as the shift from the pharmaceutical sector to FMCH demands increased agility and resilience, new ways of meeting consumer demand, and new approaches to category management and supplier relationships.
It’s a once-in-a-generation transition, as the organisation shifts ownership, stepping out from Sanofi in order to carve a new path for itself.
A once-in-a-generation transition
“We are undergoing one of the most significant separations the industry has seen in recent years, and perhaps for years to come,” says Marie-Pierre Goyenetche, Chief Procurement Officer at Opella. “This is more than just a procurement transformation; it’s a business transformation.” Goyenetche is eager to highlight the importance of this moment in time for Opella, and the role that procurement has to play in supporting the company. “You have to understand how unique this moment is for us. Our transformation is not just another regular organisational change—there’s so much more at stake,” Goyenetche says.
Headquartered in France, Opella employs 11,000 people, and operates in 100 countries. With a portfolio of iconic brands, such as Allegra, Doliprane, and Dulcolax, Opella is already the third-largest business worldwide in the over-the-counter and vitamins, minerals & supplements market (OTC & VMS), serving more than half a billion consumers worldwide. I sat down with Goyenetche and members of her procurement team to explore the impact of the planned Sanofi carve-out, and how an ongoing procurement transformation is creating agility, resilience, and new opportunities for value in the newly-to-be-independent Opella.
Click here to read the full story in the latest issue of CPO Strategy.