An experienced international HR leader, Alawi joins DFE Pharma’s Leadership Team to support the company’s people-centric, high-performance culture.

DFE Pharma, a global leader in pharmaceutical excipients, has appointed Khatera Alawi  as Global Director Human Resources, effective 17 August. She will also join the company’s Leadership Team, bringing more than 20 years of international HR executive experience across the pharmaceutical and consumer goods industries.

In her most recent role, Alawi held a dual global and local HR leadership position at UCB Pharma, serving as Global HR Business Partner for R&D and HR Director Germany. She supported innovation-driven business areas while shaping people and talent strategies across both global and local contexts.

Throughout her career, Alawi has held senior HR roles focused on building and leading HR functions, driving transformation initiatives, and strengthening talent management, performance, and organisational effectiveness. She is recognised for combining strategic HR leadership with pragmatic execution, supporting organisations through change, fostering high-performing teams and enabling sustainable business growth in international environments.

“Alawi’s appointment reinforces our ambition to further strengthen a people-centric, high-performance culture, grounded in our values of ‘Respect always’ and ‘Better every day’,” said Dr. Sven Abend, CEO of DFE Pharma. “Her leadership approach reflects these principles in action by creating an environment where people feel valued and heard, while helping teams continuously improve how they work, collaborate and grow. This is essential to how we serve our customers. By empowering our people, we enhance agility and innovation to deliver meaningful value to customers and ultimately to patients.”