Copenhagen, Denmark, March 2026 – Lundbeck, the global biopharmaceutical company focused on brain health, has appointed Markus Kede as Senior Vice President and Chief AI Officer, joining the company’s Executive Leadership Team. The appointment marks a significant step in Lundbeck’s ambition to embed artificial intelligence at the core of its innovation and operations.
Announcing the appointment, Charl van Zyl, President & CEO of Lundbeck, emphasized the strategic importance of AI for the company’s future. He noted that artificial intelligence is no longer a future capability but a strategic imperative that will help improve outcomes for patients living with brain disorders. The leadership move reflects Lundbeck’s commitment to transforming into a “bionic company,” where human expertise and artificial intelligence work seamlessly together to advance the discovery, development, and delivery of medicines.
In his new role, Markus Kede will lead Lundbeck’s global AI strategy, focusing on strengthening governance, ensuring responsible AI practices, and driving scalable deployment of AI capabilities across the organization. His mandate includes enabling innovation, enhancing decision-making, and integrating AI across multiple functions to support the company’s long-term value creation.
Kede brings more than a decade of leadership experience within Lundbeck, having held a series of senior finance and strategy roles across the organization. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President, Finance & Business Planning, and earlier as Vice President, Finance, Strategy & Business Planning, as well as Vice President, Finance & Accounting for Lundbeck US. Throughout his tenure, he has played a key role in finance strategy, business planning, treasury operations, and digital finance transformation initiatives supporting the company’s global operations.
Before these roles, Kede held leadership positions including Senior Director and Director of Group Treasury & Insurance, where he oversaw funding, liquidity management, financial risk management, and global treasury operations. Earlier in his career, he worked with Kwintet Group, where he served as Group Treasurer, and began his professional journey in finance roles with Air Liquide Gas AB and Euro Diagnostica. He holds a Master’s degree in Strategy and Finance from Lund University.
About Lundbeck
Lundbeck is a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated exclusively to brain health. With more than 70 years of experience in neuroscience, the company focuses on improving the quality of life for people living with psychiatric and neurological disorders including depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Lundbeck employs more than 5,000 people worldwide and operates in over 20 countries, with products available in more than 80 countries. The company conducts research and development in Denmark and China and operates production facilities in Denmark, France, Italy, and China. Through its commitment to innovation, Lundbeck continues to explore new treatments and advance solutions that address some of the world’s most complex neurological challenges.
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