FRANKFURT, Germany & RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merz Pharma, a global leader in aesthetics and neurotoxins, today announced the appointment of Bob Rhatigan as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Merz North America and Patrick Urban as Chief Commercial Officer, effective immediately. Both Mr. Rhatigan and Mr. Urban will be based in Raleigh, NC.
“The global leadership team and I have great confidence that Bob Rhatigan has the strategic vision, extensive industry knowledge and operational experience that is needed to drive growth and lead Merz North America to continued success,” said Philip Burchard, CEO of Merz Pharma. “He has a proven track record of accomplishments and unparalleled experience that bring great benefit to our company’s aesthetics and neurotoxins portfolio. Bob also brings a personal style that is fully aligned with our values and culture, making him a natural fit for the team.”
In his new role, Mr. Rhatigan will assume responsibility for Merz’s business in North America, leading strategy and operations across the US and Canada. Mr. Rhatigan will join Merz’s global management board and will report directly to Philip Burchard, CEO of Merz Pharma Group.
Prior to joining Merz, Mr. Rhatigan served as Senior Vice President of Allergan’s Facial Aesthetics business, overseeing the US launches and commercial success of their key aesthetic injectable brands and growing the division into a $700M business. While at Allergan, he also served as Senior Vice President, General Manager and Chief Executive of SkinMedica, leading all aspects of the global SkinMedica business as well as the integration of SkinMedica into Allergan. Most recently, Bob Rhatigan served as President and Chief Operating Officer at Alphaeon Corporation, a healthcare company focused on the lifestyle medical space.
“I am honored and excited to lead the Merz North America team to an even higher level of achievement and ensure a successful future for the organization. We have a well-rounded and strong portfolio in which I see clear potential,” said Mr. Rhatigan. “I am fortunate to work with a deeply experienced senior leadership team as we continue to target innovative approaches and growth opportunities with a strategic focus on our aesthetics and neurotoxins business. We will remain committed to being a trusted partner for our customers to provide long-term value as well as meet the evolving needs of our patients.”
In addition, Patrick Urban, who most recently served as interim President and CEO for Merz North America, has accepted the role of Chief Commercial Officer, reporting directly to Bob Rhatigan. In this newly-created position, Mr. Urban will play a critical role in driving the commercial success of the Merz Aesthetics portfolio.
Mr. Urban brings more than 20 years of commercial experience in the U.S. pharmaceutical and medical device industries to his new role as Chief Commercial Officer. Previously, Urban held the role of Vice President, US Aesthetics Sales, where he was responsible for the management of Merz North America’s U.S.-based aesthetics sales force. Prior to joining Merz, Patrick Urban served as Vice President, U.S. Sales for Ulthera, Inc., joining Ulthera in October 2009 as the organization’s first sales leader, serving as a key conduit between Ulthera‘s National Accounts team, OUS sales force and Global Marketing function.
As Merz’s largest subsidiary, Merz North America is a significant contributor to the company’s global business in both aesthetics and neurotoxins. Merz North America is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, with additional locations in Mesa, Arizona, Franksville, Wisconsin and Toronto, Canada.
About Merz Pharma Group
With approximately 3,000 employees and 34 subsidiaries worldwide, Merz is a global leader in Aesthetics and Neurotoxins. Privately held for more than 100 years, the company is distinguished by its in-house research and development, solid financial strength and continuous growth. Complementing its unique portfolio of products for minimally invasive and non-invasive skin rejuvenation and tightening, Merz also develops neurotoxin therapy for the treatment of movement disorders. Skincare products and a range of OTC medicines are also included in offerings from the company, which is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany. In fiscal year 2015/16, Merz Pharma Group generated revenue of EUR 1,092.9 million. More information is available at www.merz.com.
