Vohra succeeds Vivek Sharma, who steps down as Executive Chairman for personal reasons. Sharma will continue to be with Cohance as an advisor for the next 9 months and will support a smooth transition.
The company said Vohra’s appointment reflects a deliberate, strategic decision taken by the Board to bring in a leader whose profile is specifically suited to the demands of the company’s transformation and its next phase of growth.
“I believe deeply in the long-term value creation potential of this platform. Cohance’s technology offerings, depth of its R&D talent, and the quality of the leadership team already in place provide a strong foundation. I am looking forward to this entrepreneurial stint and will work closely with the current management leaders to create value for customers, employees and shareholders alike,” Vohra said in a statement.
Over a career spanning more than three decades, he has led large, complex, global businesses through periods of strategic transformation while maintaining an unwavering focus on customers, quality and operational excellence. Most recently, as CEO and Managing Director of Cipla Limited, Vohra led the company’s transformation over the last decade to build a diversified global pharmaceutical enterprise.
Having worked in and transformed two very large and respected pharma companies in India, Vohra brings an owner-mindset and vast experience in business to the Cohance platform.
Cohance Lifesciences has built a differentiated position in the global CDMO landscape through its depth in proprietary chemistry, complex multi-step synthesis, and advanced process R&D. The company’s capabilities span complex APIs, ADCs and Oligonucleotides, complex intermediates, performance materials and specialty ingredients. With integrated R&D centres, over 400 R&D scientists, and established partnerships with global pharmaceutical innovators, Cohance’s platform is anchored in science.Also read: Paytm shares crash 8% as RBI cancels Paytm Payments Bank’s banking licence. What next?
“The platform will greatly benefit from a leader like Umang, who brings an owner-manager mindset, and who can build on the business’s scientific foundation, drive commercial scale, deepen customer partnerships, and develop a leading operating culture. Umang is one of the most respected leaders in the Indian pharmaceutical industry. He brings global stature, operational depth, and a track record of building and leading large-scale transformations,” said Pankaj Patwari, Managing Director at Advent.