Alexander Wessels, previously president and CEO of DSM Food Specialties, has officially assumed responsibility for DSM Pharmaceutical Products, the pharmaceutical ingredients and contract manufacturing organization of Royal DSM NV. He reports to Stephan Tanda, member of the DSM managing board, and will oversee the implementation of DSM's "driving focused growth" global strategy, as announced in September 2010, within the pharmaceutical products business group. The strategy includes sales from high growth economies, innovation and sustainability solutions as well as from partnerships.

Wessels has worked in the life sciences, nutrition and pharmaceutical industries for 20 years, including four years at DSM, most recently as business group president of DSM Food Specialties, strongly improving the performance of this global business and market leader. Headquartered in Parsippany, NJ (USA), the DSM Pharmaceutical Products business group serves the global pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical markets offering manufacturing services, R&D/formulation and technologies for biologics, active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates, as well as finished dosage manufacturing. The business group works closely with all DSM pharma interests including DSM Anti-Infectives.

Prior to joining DSM, Wessels held various management and executive positions in the food, beverage and nutrition industries at Unilever, Quest International (Unilever), ICI, and Campina. Wessels holds an MSc in Molecular Sciences from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and both an MSM and MBA from the Krannert Business School of Purdue University in the United States and Tilburg University, the Netherlands.