Lupin appoints its first chief technical operations officer

Pharmaceutical company Lupin announced the appointment of Christoph Funke as the chief technical operations officer on Monday. Funke is the first hire for the newly created post and will oversee the company’s technical operations functions, integrating manufacturing, supply chain, and procurement. He will be based in Mumbai.

He has 30 years of global pharmaceutical manufacturing, supply chain, and technical operations experience. In the past, Funke has held leadership roles at organisations such as Fresenius Kabi and Strides Pharma Science, managing large-scale technical operations and manufacturing networks across 27 sites in 19 countries, overseeing production value exceeding $2 billion and leading teams of over 12,500 employees. His last held role was that of chief operations officer at Bengaluru-based Strides Pharma Science Limited. Funke is an alum of South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences.

“We are delighted to welcome Christoph to our executive leadership team. His impressive track record and extensive experience across manufacturing, supply chain, and technical operations make him a valuable addition as we continue to advance our mission of improving patient lives globally,” said company spokesperson.

To be sure, this month Lupin also appointed Rakesh Bhardwaj as the chief information officer (CIO). Bhardwaj is based in Mumbai and leads the company’s global information technology function and digital transformation. Bhardwaj has three decades of experience in building and managing global IT teams and systems. His last held role was that of group CIO with Ola; he has also worked with Cognizant, MicroLand, General Electric, and BISIL. He is a Gulbarga University alum.