Avantor Appoints Mary Blenn as EVP & Chief Operating Officer

The Avantor Mary Blenn appointment was announced by Avantor, Inc. (NYSE: AVTR) on November 10 2025, marking the creation of a newly formed Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer effective immediately. Ms. Blenn will report directly to President and CEO Emmanuel Ligner and will have oversight of the company’s global manufacturing and supply-chain operations.

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A Veteran Leader with Over Three Decades of Experience

Mary Blenn brings more than 30 years of executive experience leading complex manufacturing and supply-chain networks across the life sciences, medical technology, and industrial sectors. Prior to joining Avantor, she held the role of Senior Vice President of Global Operations & Supply Chain at Cytiva, where she oversaw large-scale operational transformations that strengthened global manufacturing networks and improved productivity.

Earlier in her career, Blenn held various senior leadership positions at General Electric (GE), particularly within GE Healthcare and GE Biopharma. At GE, she was recognized for her ability to align manufacturing excellence with business growth, digital transformation, and customer satisfaction.

Her track record demonstrates expertise in lean manufacturing, operational transformation, global logistics strategy, and end-to-end supply-chain optimization. These capabilities are directly relevant to Avantor’s ongoing focus on optimizing global operations and driving margin expansion through greater efficiency and scalability.

Driving Avantor’s Strategic Mandate for Operational Excellence

In her new role as COO, Blenn will be responsible for leading Avantor’s manufacturing network, logistics, and supply-chain strategy across its diverse operational footprint. This includes more than 200 manufacturing, distribution, and innovation centers that support over 300,000 customer locations in 180+ countries.

Her primary objectives will include:

Enhancing Operational Efficiency: Streamlining manufacturing processes to improve productivity, reduce lead times, and strengthen quality control.
Building Supply-Chain Resilience: Developing flexible, data-driven logistics systems capable of adapting to global disruptions and evolving customer needs.
Optimizing Scalability: Aligning operational capacity with Avantor’s growth ambitions in high-demand life science and advanced technology markets.
Driving Continuous Improvement: Implementing lean methodologies and automation technologies to strengthen process excellence and operational discipline.
Improving Customer Outcomes: Ensuring Avantor continues to deliver consistent, high-quality products and services that enable scientific discovery and innovation.

Blenn’s operational mandate supports Avantor’s long-term strategy to strengthen its end-to-end value chain, improve reliability, and support sustainable growth in both emerging and established markets.

Industry Context: Navigating a Complex Global Supply Chain

The global life sciences and advanced technology sectors are undergoing rapid change. From increased biopharma production demands to supply-chain disruptions driven by geopolitical shifts, organizations like Avantor must adapt to maintain reliability, quality, and cost efficiency.

Over the past few years, global supply chains have faced unprecedented challenges—ranging from raw material shortages and transportation bottlenecks to evolving regulatory and sustainability requirements. In this environment, operational resilience is not just an advantage—it is a necessity.

Avantor’s appointment of Mary Blenn reflects its proactive approach to these challenges. By adding a proven operational leader to its executive team, Avantor aims to enhance agility, mitigate risk, and deliver on its commitment to customers, partners, and shareholders.

Emmanuel Ligner, Avantor’s President and CEO, commented on the appointment:

“Mary’s extensive experience leading global operations and supply-chain transformations makes her uniquely qualified to guide Avantor through the next phase of operational excellence. Her leadership will be pivotal in ensuring we deliver on our promise of reliability, quality, and customer value.”

Aligning Leadership with Strategic Transformation

Avantor has been in a period of transformation aimed at improving operational efficiency and strengthening financial performance. The company has implemented multiple cost-optimization initiatives, digital supply-chain modernization projects, and performance improvement programs to enhance its competitiveness in a dynamic market.

The addition of a Chief Operating Officer role marks a key structural shift, reflecting Avantor’s commitment to cross-functional integration and execution discipline. By consolidating global manufacturing and logistics under Blenn’s leadership, the company can better synchronize planning, sourcing, production, and distribution.

This realignment is expected to yield:

Greater alignment between commercial and operational goals
Improved visibility across global operations through unified data systems
Faster decision-making and reduced inefficiencies across the value chain
Enhanced collaboration between supply-chain, procurement, and manufacturing teams

Market Analysts’ Reactions: Strengthening Confidence in Avantor’s Future

Industry analysts have described the appointment as a strategic and timely move. Avantor has faced market headwinds in recent quarters, including margin pressures and slower growth across some end markets. The company’s focus on operational transformation—anchored by this leadership expansion—signals its commitment to building a more resilient and scalable business model.

According to analysts, Blenn’s appointment could strengthen investor confidence by emphasizing Avantor’s operational discipline and reinforcing its ability to manage global complexity. As the company continues to execute on its growth and transformation initiatives, the addition of an experienced COO positions it to improve profitability, expand margins, and better navigate future market cycles.

What the Appointment Means for Stakeholders

For Customers

Customers can expect improvements in supply reliability, fulfillment speed, and service quality. Avantor’s customers—spanning pharmaceutical manufacturers, biotechnology firms, academic researchers, and industrial labs—rely on precise delivery of critical products and materials. Strengthened supply-chain coordination under Blenn’s leadership will help ensure seamless availability and consistency.

For Employees

The operational transformation will also impact Avantor’s internal teams. Employees in manufacturing, logistics, and quality functions are likely to see increased emphasis on lean practices, process standardization, and digital enablement. By empowering teams with better tools and workflows, Avantor aims to foster a culture of continuous improvement and performance excellence.

For Investors

From a financial standpoint, this appointment represents a commitment to improving operational leverage and capital efficiency. Analysts believe that more disciplined operations could support stronger EBITDA margins, better cash conversion, and sustainable shareholder returns over the long term.

Key Focus Areas and Priorities for 2026 and Beyond

In the coming quarters, Mary Blenn and the Avantor leadership team are expected to prioritize several key initiatives to advance the company’s operational agenda:

Global Supply-Chain Synchronization – Integrating digital visibility tools and predictive analytics to optimize inventory levels, reduce waste, and enhance responsiveness across global regions.
Manufacturing Optimization – Streamlining production processes, investing in automation, and driving plant-level efficiencies to improve cost competitiveness and quality consistency.
Sustainability and ESG Integration – Embedding sustainability goals into operations, including energy-efficient manufacturing and responsible sourcing practices, aligning with Avantor’s environmental and social governance commitments.
Resilient Logistics Networks – Building more flexible transportation and warehousing strategies to mitigate the impact of global disruptions.
Customer-Centric Operational Strategy – Ensuring operational agility translates into faster delivery, improved customization, and greater satisfaction across customer segments.
Digital Transformation – Expanding use of data-driven systems to enhance real-time decision-making, capacity planning, and performance tracking across facilities.

Broader Implications for the Life Sciences Supply Chain

Avantor’s move comes at a time when many companies in the life sciences supply ecosystem are rethinking their operational strategies. The increasing complexity of biologics production, cell and gene therapy logistics, and the need for cold-chain reliability are reshaping supply-chain management models across the industry.

By emphasizing manufacturing scalability and operational precision, Avantor is positioning itself as a strategic partner of choice for organizations that depend on reliable access to scientific materials and solutions.

As the industry transitions toward more data-driven, AI-assisted, and sustainable supply networks, leaders like Blenn are expected to play a central role in enabling innovation while maintaining cost discipline and operational agility.

Conclusion: Setting the Foundation for Sustainable Growth

The appointment of Mary Blenn as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer marks a pivotal chapter in Avantor’s growth journey. With her extensive operational experience, data-driven leadership style, and deep understanding of global manufacturing ecosystems, she is well-positioned to guide Avantor through its next phase of transformation.

Under Blenn’s leadership, Avantor aims to build a more efficient, resilient, and scalable operations model, capable of supporting the company’s global customer base and advancing its mission of enabling scientific breakthroughs.

As the company strengthens its operational backbone, stakeholders—from customers to investors—can expect to see a renewed emphasis on reliability, efficiency, and performance excellence, setting Avantor on a trajectory toward long-term success in the evolving life sciences landscape.

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