Bavarian Nordic names Sanofi and AstraZeneca veteran Tarja Stenvall to replace Paul Chaplin as CEO

Bavarian Nordic has appointed Tarja Stenvall as its new CEO, effective October 15, 2026, to succeed Paul Chaplin.

Stenvall is a former Sanofi executive who also held senior roles at AstraZeneca and Pfizer, making her a pharma industry veteran with strong commercial and vaccine experience.

The company said the board conducted a comprehensive search before naming her, and it thanked Chaplin for helping transform Bavarian Nordic into a global vaccines company.

Chaplin’s departure was announced earlier in 2026; he is stepping down after a long tenure with the company, including 12 years as CEO and 27 years in total.

Investors appeared to welcome the appointment, with some reports noting Bavarian Nordic’s shares rose on the news.

Sources:

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