Alpharma, Inc. has named Dean J. Mitchell president and chief executive officer succeeding Ingrid Wiik, who planned to retire once a successor was named. Mr. Mitchell has nearly three decades of senior management experience working at global pharmaceutical companies including Bristol-Myers Squibb and GlaxoSmithKline. Mr. Mitchell also worked in strategic planning and product development and commercialization. He was most recently president and chief executive officer of Guilford Pharmaceuticals, where he directed a comprehensive overhaul of the biotechnology company’s strategy leading to its acquisition by MGI Pharma, Inc.

Prior to joining Guilford, Mr. Mitchell held a broad range of operations and strategic positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb, lastly being responsible for developing corporate strategy. Previously, he was president of its North America Primary Care and International Pharmaceuticals businesses. He also served on various BMS senior management and governance committees, including its corporate executive committee.

Before joining BMS, Mr. Mitchell spent 14 years at GlaxoSmithKline and its predecessor companies in the U.S. and Canada where he held various general management, product strategy and business development positions. His last role combined the global clinical development and global marketing organizations into a group, which shaped products for effective commercialization.