Gaël Touya became President and CEO of Aptar

In a press release, the Aptar Group—which specializes in technologies for the delivery, dosing, and protection of medications, as well as the distribution of consumer products—announced that Mr. Gaël Touya officially assumes the role of President and CEO today, as previously announced on March 17. Mr. Gaël Touya, who brings more than 30 years of experience within the Group, previously served as President of Aptar Pharma.

He succeeds Mr. Stephan B. Tanda, who has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since 2017 and will continue to support Mr. Gaël Touya and the Board of Directors in an advisory capacity through the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition as the Group enters a new phase of growth. Mr. Stephan B. Tanda will step down from the Board of Directors by the end of this year. Mr. Gaël Touya has been appointed to the Board, effective immediately. “I am honored to take on this role,” he said. “Aptar has been my professional home for over 30 years, and I look forward to working alongside our teams around the world to shape the Group’s future. Few missions are as meaningful as ours, and I am committed to building on our strengths while remaining attentive to our employees, customers, and partners. I would like to thank Stephan for his outstanding leadership and for the foundation he has laid, which will enable us to build on this strong momentum.”
Mr. Gaël Touya holds a degree in international business and management from Excelia Business School (France), an MBA from ESSEC Business School (France), and has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. “My vision of leadership is rooted in curiosity,” he explains, “collaboration, and the desire to create a lasting impact for patients, consumers, and customers around the world.”

A strong track record of performance

“After more than thirty years at Aptar in Europe, Asia, and North America, the press release states, “Mr. Gaël Touya brings in-depth commercial, operational, and technical expertise, combined with an international perspective and a strong track record of performance.” Since 2018, he has served as president of Aptar Pharma and has led the transformation of this division, positioning it as a more comprehensive partner—at the forefront of science and digital technology—for numerous leading pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Under his leadership, the division has experienced significant growth, with revenue increasing by approximately 82% over the period. Throughout his tenure, he has brought a clear vision to Aptar Pharma by supporting clients at every stage of their development, while placing the patient at the center of its priorities. He has led the expansion of the division’s technologies and services to create an integrated end-to-end model designed to help clients move more efficiently from early-stage formulation to clinical development and then to commercialization.
This strategy combined targeted and successful acquisitions with structured organic growth and relentless innovation. He focused on strengthening Aptar Pharma’s offering by integrating regulatory expertise, clinical development support, patient engagement solutions, and digital health capabilities aimed at improving adherence. Under his leadership, the division also expanded respiratory and nasal drug delivery beyond traditional local treatments to systemic applications in therapeutic areas such as depression, epilepsy, and migraine, and advanced nasal delivery technologies from small molecules to larger and more complex molecules, including biologics. These strategic investments, combined with his focus on customer partnerships and operational excellence, have helped strengthen Aptar Pharma’s position as a trusted global leader and partner in the field of regulated drug delivery.”

Aptar: 14,000 employees in 20 countries

It should be noted that Mr. Gaël Touya also possesses in-depth knowledge of Aptar’s business portfolio, having previously served as president of Aptar Food + Beverage (now Aptar Closures), president of Aptar Food + Beverage Europe, vice president of business development for skin care (now part of Aptar Beauty), as well as leadership roles in India, where he helped establish Aptar’s office and pharmaceutical operations. He also held full responsibility for financial results in China and Japan, where he led Aptar’s expansion into key high-growth markets. “Recognized for his people-centered leadership,” the press release notes, “Mr. Gaël Touya is deeply committed to talent development, sustainability, and a culture of innovation across all regions and teams.”
The Aptar Group commends the leadership of Mr. Stephan Tanda, “whose tenure as Chairman and CEO since 2017 has been marked by strong performance, a strong sense of commitment, and global expansion—driven by both organic growth and some 20 acquisitions and complementary investments, primarily in the pharmaceutical sector, including the acquisition of the Active Material Science business in 2018.”

Headquartered in Crystal Lake, Illinois (United States), Aptar employs 14,000 dedicated employees across 20 countries.