Lonza, the world’s leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has named Samanta Cimitan as its new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), a newly created role effective by January 1, 2027. Cimitan, currently CEO of Celonic Group, will become a Senior Vice President and member of Lonza’s Extended Executive Committee, tasked with leading Strategic Enterprise Account Management, Global Marketing, and Commercial Excellence. This appointment is a pivotal move in Lonza’s One Lonza strategy, aimed at simplifying customer access to its full end-to-end services across all business platforms.
The creation of the CCO position reflects Lonza’s focus on enhancing customer engagement and commercial delivery. By centralizing commercial leadership, Lonza seeks to present a unified face to its clients, making it easier for them to navigate the company’s extensive capabilities. Cimitan will hold direct responsibility for strategic accounts, ensuring that key partnerships receive dedicated attention and that Lonza’s commercial operations are aligned with its scientific and manufacturing strengths.
Wolfgang Wienand, Lonza’s CEO, emphasized the strategic importance of this role, stating, "Samanta’s appointment to the new role of Chief Commercial Officer is another important step in building One Lonza and making the full power of the Lonza Engine work for our partners in the pharmaceutical industry." He highlighted Cimitan’s deep CDMO expertise and her previous experience at Lonza, where she spent nearly 13 years in commercial and strategy roles, including as Vice President of Group Operations Strategy. Her return is seen as a significant asset in executing Lonza’s commercial discipline and fostering trusted partnerships.
Cimitan’s background includes leading Celonic Group’s transformation into a focused biologics CDMO, where she strengthened commercial, operational, regulatory, and innovation capabilities. Her track record in commercial strategy and customer partnership development aligns with Lonza’s ambition to ensure every customer benefits from the company’s breadth of science and technology. In her new role, she will also oversee Commercial Excellence and Global Marketing to harmonize go-to-market strategies across One Lonza.
The appointment comes at a time when Lonza is reporting strong financial performance, with sales of CHF 3.4 billion and CORE EBITDA of CHF 1.2 billion in the first half of 2026. This move is expected to further solidify Lonza’s position as the leading CDMO by enhancing its commercial agility and customer-centric approach. For more information, visit Lonza’s website.
