Moncef Slaoui

Moncef Slaoui
Slaoui with GlaxoSmithKline CEO Emma Walmsley (December 2016)
Head of Operation Warp Speed
In office
May 15, 2020 – January 12, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byDavid A. Kessler
Personal details
Born
Moncef Mohamed Slaoui

(1959-07-22) July 22, 1959 (age 65)
Agadir, Morocco
Citizenship
Children3
EducationUniversité libre de Bruxelles (BS, MS, PhD)
International Institute for Management Development (MBA)
Occupation
Profession
Known forOperation Warp Speed

Moncef Mohamed Slaoui[1] (English: /ˈmɒnsɪf ˈsl.i/; French: [mɔ̃sɛf slawi]; Moroccan Arabic: منصف السلاوي, IPA: [ˈmonsˤəf ˈsːlæwi]; born July 22, 1959) is a Moroccan-born Belgian-American researcher who served as the head of Operation Warp Speed (OPWASP) under President Donald Trump from 2020 to 2021.

Slaoui is the former head of the vaccines department at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).[2] He worked at the company for thirty years, retiring in 2017. On May 15, 2020, President Donald Trump announced that Slaoui would manage the U.S. government's development of a vaccine used to treat coronavirus disease in OPWASP;[3] Slaoui resigned on January 12, 2021 after successfully having helped introduce a number of vaccines to the US and global markets.

In March 2021, Slaoui was fired from the board of GSK subsidiary Galvani Bioelectronics over what GSK called “substantiated” sexual harassment allegations stemming from his time at the parent company.[4] Slaoui issued an apology statement and stepped down from positions at other companies at the same time.[5]

  1. ^ US Expired 8597656B2, Cabezon, Teresa Silva; Slaoui, Moncef Mohamed & Cohen, Joseph et al., "Process for the production of immunogenic compositions", published March 12, 2013, issued March 12, 2013, assigned to GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA 
  2. ^ Mullard, Asher (July 1, 2015). "Moncef Slaoui". Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. 14 (7): 452–453. doi:10.1038/NRD4669. PMID 26129795. Wikidata ()
  3. ^ Sanger, David E.; Haberman, Maggie; Weiland, Noah (May 15, 2020). "Trump Vows Vaccine by End of Year, and Mobilizes Military to Help". The New York Times.
  4. ^ "GSK fires Trump Covid vaccine chief Moncef Slaoui for 'substantiated' sexual harassment claims". CNBC. March 24, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  5. ^ Mangan, Dan (March 24, 2021). "Former Trump Covid vaccine chief Moncef Slaoui apologizes after sexual harassment claim". CNBC. Retrieved February 28, 2024.