Marie-Paule Porte succeeds Florence Bambuck, Group general counsel since 2006, who decided to retire. She is reporting directly to Habib Ramdani, chief financial officer, member of the executive board. She manages the corporate legal teams, the one based in France or the one located abroad in some subsidiaries, and coordinates all legal issues covering close to 60 legal entities worldwide.

In conjunction with the executive board and area directors, she deals with the Virbac Group’s legal structures and governance, strategic projects, particularly external growth initiatives, as well as the Group’s transactions in order to safeguard these and improve their legal efficiency by concluding and monitoring the most suitable contracts and managing potential disputes. She is also involved in protecting and managing the Group’s trademarks, models and domain names, in addition to establishing and managing Group insurance.  
“We are very pleased to welcome Marie-Paule within the team. Her expertise in legal affairs both in France and internationally, and her knowledge of various sectors, particularly pharma, make her the ideal candidate to oversee Virbac's Legal department”, commented Habib Ramdani.

Marie-Paule graduated from the University of Aix-Marseille. She began her career in 1985 as a lawyer with a mid-cap company. She went on to become Legal director at Pasteur Mérieux Sérums & Vaccins. She joined later the division Organique Fine of Rhodia group as General Counsel and then within Novacap, a chemical company, spin off of Rhodia, where she was member of the executive committee. Marie-Paule most recently held the position of Group general counsel at Pierre Fabre Company since 2011.