Head of Manufacturing & Supply, Vaccines, US
Rakesh Kakkar serves as Head of Manufacturing & Supply, Vaccines, US at Sanofi, where he leads vaccine manufacturing operations for over 2000 Sanofian’s across US sites. In this pivotal role, he oversees a comprehensive portfolio spanning manufacturing operations for Drug Substance and Drug Product, Supply Chain, Quality, Strategy, Technical Services, Engineering, Project Management, and Operational Excellence. His leadership has been instrumental in driving Sanofi's vaccine manufacturing capabilities and ensuring the delivery of life-saving vaccines around the globe.
With over 25 years of distinguished experience in the biotechnology industry, Rakesh brings deep expertise in vaccines and therapeutic oncology immunoconjugates. Prior to his current role, he served as Head of Biologics Manufacturing at Sanofi, managing Drug Substance Manufacturing at the Swiftwater site. Before joining Sanofi in 2016, he spent 16 years at Pfizer Biotech/Wyeth in roles of increasing responsibility, where he led vaccine manufacturing operations and successfully localized vaccine manufacturing in emerging markets in Turkey, Russia, Argentina & South Africa. His strategic acumen encompasses CMO evaluations, manufacturing process transfers, quality systems implementation, regulatory strategy for product launches, and the deployment of new technologies to maximize operational efficiency.
Rakesh's contributions extend beyond operational excellence to strategic partnerships and significant capital investments. He has collaborated extensively with HHS/BARDA on pandemic influenza vaccine projects, demonstrating his commitment to public health preparedness. Under his leadership, the expansion of Swiftwater sites has included the building and licensing of new facilities representing over $1.2 billion in investment. His regulatory expertise is evidenced by his extensive interactions with FDA, EMA, ANSM, PMDA and various global regulatory agencies, as well as his service on the USP expert panel.
Dr. Kakkar holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Guru Nanak Dev University, India, and an M.S. in Clinical Pathology from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, where he also completed Post-doctoral fellowship at the College of Medicine. He has authored more than 33 peer-reviewed publications and is an active member of ISPE. Additionally, he served as co-executive sponsor for Sanofi's VETS Employee Business Resource Group through December 2025, reflecting his commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace culture. Rakesh's strategic vision and operational leadership continue to advance Sanofi's mission of protecting health and enabling access to vaccines for communities in the United States and across the globe.