Galapagos Announces Appointment of Fred Blakeslee as General Counsel

Core Viewpoint - Galapagos NV has appointed Fred Blakeslee as Executive Vice President and General Counsel, effective October 16, 2025, succeeding Valeria Cnossen, who will leave the company after a transition period [1]. Group 1: Leadership Transition - Fred Blakeslee brings extensive legal expertise and global business transaction experience, particularly in the biopharma sector, which is expected to be valuable for Galapagos' transformation journey [1]. - The CEO, Henry Gosebruch, expressed gratitude towards Valeria Cnossen for her leadership and contributions over the past three years [1]. Group 2: Fred Blakeslee's Background - Blakeslee previously served as Vice President, Transactions, Legal at AbbVie, where he led legal teams in complex mergers and acquisitions, including AbbVie's $63 billion acquisition of Allergan PLC [1][2]. - He has a strong background in advising on private equity, corporate, and securities transactions, having started his career at Kirkland & Ellis LLP [2]. Group 3: Company Overview - Galapagos is a biotechnology company focused on transforming patient outcomes through innovative science and technology, with operations in Europe, the U.S., and Asia [3]. - The company aims to address high unmet medical needs and has a commitment to delivering results for patients, employees, and shareholders through a deep pipeline of best-in-class medicines [3].