Kris Sterkens

Since starting his career at Janssen in Belgium almost 30 years ago, Kris Sterkens has been part of many teams across EMEA, Asia Pacific, and the United States.

Moving on from his latest role as the Company Group Chairman of Janssen Asia Pacific, Kris was appointed Company Group Chairman of Europe, Middle East and Africa in June 2017. He was excited to return to his home country, Belgium, after spending over three years in Singapore since February 2014 for the Asia Pacific business.

Under Kris’ stewardship, Janssen Asia Pacific achieved notable milestones, including a return to growth in China and a successful business transformation in Japan. Kris also led teams in Korea, Australia, and New Zealand and successfully competed against new biosimilar entrant, in addition to achieving industry-leading growth in India. Throughout his career, Kris has demonstrated exceptional leadership and an ability to identify and develop talent. For instance, in Asia Pacific, he introduced Company Group Chairman’s Dialogue, a talent development programme which has engaged more than 100 emerging leaders.

Prior to that, Kris was leading the EMEA Strategy Organisation, alongside his role as Managing Director of the region’s Mid-Sized Markets. He was also the Managing Director for Janssen the Netherlands, the Benelux countries, and then Germany from 2007–2012.

Before his transition into General Management, Kris was Vice President, Finance and Chief Finance Officer (CFO) for Janssen EMEA.

Kris holds a Master’s degree in Applied Economics from the University of Antwerp, a Master's degree in Financial Management from the Flemish Institute of Management, and an MBA from the Solvay Business School in Brussels. Kris is fluent in Dutch, English, German, and French and has been a frequent speaker at business schools, medical and patient group events, and industry meetings.