Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen (born December 27, 1960) is a Danish businessman who is the CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation and former executive vice president of research & development (R&D), head of R&D and chief scientific officer at the pharmaceutical company Novo.
Education and background Thomsen went to boarding school in Epsom, Surrey in Great Britain from 1967 to 1971. He graduated from high school from Rungsted Statsskole in 1979. He holds a master's degree from The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in 1986, now part of the University of Copenhagen. According to Krogsgaard Thomsen himself, he originally wanted to be a practicing veterinarian, and was inspired by the British television series All Creatures Great And Small. At the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, however, he started to take an interest in pursuing a career in either science or the pharmaceutical industry. He finished his PhD. from the same university in 1989 and obtained the DSc. (Doctor of Science) degree within the pharmacology of experimental therapeutics in 1991.
Career Thomsen worked as a pharmacologist at Leo Pharma from 1989 to 1991 and was thereafter employed by Novo in as head of Growth Hormone Research. He became senior vice president for diabetes R&D in 1994 and was appointed senior vice president of Health Care Discovery in 1995.
In November 2000, he was appointed executive vice president of Global R&D and chief scientific officer (CSO). As chief scientific officer, he was responsible for the research and development of 20 medicine products within diabetes, obesity and biopharmaceuticals. He led the development of GLP-1 therapies that today are among the leading treatments within type 2 diabetes and obesity. He left the position as executive vice president of R&D on February 28, 2021, and took the role as CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation on March 1, 2021.
He has been the president of the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences and has been on the board of directors at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and University of Copenhagen. From 2017 to 2020, Thomsen was the chairman of the board of directors at University of Copenhagen. Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen received the royal decoration of Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog by the Danish Royal House on 12 December 2022.(Danish) - Overview of recipients of Danish decorations: https://www.kongehuset.dk/monarkiet-i-danmark/ordener-og-medaljer/modtagere-af-danske-dekorationer/#oversigt-over-modtagere-af-danske-dekorationer
In 2024, Thomsen received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, presented by Awards Council member Robert S. Langer.
Novo Thomsen joined Novo in 1991 as the head of growth hormone research. In 1994, he was appointed senior vice president of diabetes research & development. In November 2000, he became executive vice president and chief scientific officer, overseeing global operations related to drug and device research, chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC), global development, medical affairs, regulatory affairs, and safety. During his tenure, more than 20 pharmaceutical products were developed and approved.
Development of GLP-1-based therapies During his tenure as chief scientific officer at Novo, Thomsen played a significant role in the development of GLP-1-based therapies, including Ozempic and Wegovy. In the early 1990s, despite skepticism from company leadership regarding the potential of obesity treatments, Thomsen advocated for focusing on obesity as a significant health issue. This strategic direction led to the development of Ozempic, approved for Type 2 diabetes treatment in 2017, and Wegovy, approved for weight loss in 2021. Both medications are based on semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist designed to regulate blood sugar levels and appetite.
Novo Nordisk Foundation On March 1, 2021, Thomsen was appointed CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, a philanthropic organization that funds research in health, life sciences, and sustainability.
Academic and scientific contributions Thomsen has been an adjunct professor at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (now the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen) since 2000. He has also served on the editorial boards of various international peer-reviewed journals and has published extensively in the fields of pharmacology, immunology, endocrinology, and haemostasis.
List of publications associated to Mads Krogsgaard ThomsenMads Krogsgaard Thomsen’s research while affiliated with Novo Nordisk and other places -
https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Mads-Krogsgaard-Thomsen-39715658/publications/1#articlesResearch publications associated with M K Thomsen:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Thomsen+MK&cauthor_id=4080535&size=100: YearPublicationAuthors1989Biological variation in random and leukotriene B4-directed migration of canine neutrophilsM.Krogsgaard Thomsen, H Strøm1989Histopathological Changes in Canine Allergic Contact Dermatitis Patch Test Reactions: A study on spontaneously hypersensitive dogsMads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Henrik Klem Thomsen1989Inhibition by the LTD4 antagonist, SR2640, of effects of LTD4 on canine polymorphonuclear leukocyte functionsMads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Ian Ahnfelt-Rønne1990Effect of proinflammatory mediators on canine neutrophil migration and aggregationH Strøm, M.K. Thomsen1990Effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on canine neutrophil chemotaxisH Strøm, M. Krogsgaard Thomsen1990LTD4 increases cytosolic free calcium and inositol phosphates in human neutrophils: inhibition by the novel LTD4 receptor antagonist, SR2640, and possible relation to modulation of chemotaxisPierre Bouchelouche, Ian Ahnfelt-Rønne, M K Thomsen1990Is interleukin-1 alpha a direct activator of neutrophil migration and phagocytosis in the dog?M K Thomsen1990Effects of etodolac, indomethacin and sodium salicylate on canine neutrophil functionM K Thomsen, Tine Skak-Nielsen, Ian Ahnfelt-Rønne1991Purification and Characterization of Hepatic Microsomal Cytochrome P-450 in Phenobarbital- and β-Naphthoflavone-Treated PigsMads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Christian Friis, Poul Nielsen1991Impairment of Neutrophil Functions in a Dog with an Eosinophilic DermatosisHœmmet granulocytfunktion hos en hund med en eosinofil dermatoseM. Krogsgaard Thomsen, A. Lundorff Jensen, E. Bindseil, F. Kristensen1991Reassessment of two Boyden chamber methods for measuring canine neutrophil migration: the leading front and the lower surface count assaysMads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Asger L Jensen1991Substance P: a neurogenic mediator of acute cellular inflammation in the dog?M. Krogsgaard Thomsen1991The role of neutrophil-activating mediators in canine healthand disease (with special reference to the role of leukotrienes in inflammatory dermatoses)M. Krogsgaard Thomsen19911,25(OH)2-D3 is a potent regulator of interleukin-1 induced interleukin-8 expression and productionChristian Gronhoj Larsen, Mette Deleuran Kirsten Paludan, Bent Deleuran, Mads K. Thomsen, Claus Zachariae, Knud Kragballe Kouji Matsushima, Kristian Thestrup-Pedersen1991Enhanced granulocyte function in a case of chronic granulocytic leukemia in a dogMads K. Thomsen, Asger L Jensen, Tine Skak-Nielsen, Flemming Kristensen1991Effect of the leukotriene LTD4 LTE4 antagonist, SR 2640, in ulcerative colitis: An open clinical studyOle Haagen Nielsen, Ian Ahnfelt-Rønne, M K Thomsen, A-M. Kissmeyer, Ebbe Langholz1991Inhibition of Leukotriene Biosynthesis and Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Functions by Orally Active QuinolylmethoxyphenylaminesDorte Kirstein, Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Ian Ahnfelt-Rønne1991Recombinant Human Interleukin-8 Is a Potent Activator of Canine Neutrophil Aggregation, Migration, and Leukotriene B4 BiosynthesisM. Krogsgaard Thomsen, Christian Gronhoj Larsen, H. Kiem Thomsen, D Kirstein, Tine Skak-Nielsen, Ian Ahnfelt-Rønne, K Thestrup-Pedersen1991[Leukotrienes. A review of the significance for disease in man and the possibilities for therapeutic intervention]M K Thomsen, Ian Ahnfelt-Rønne1991Impairment of neutrophil functions in a dog with an eosinophilic dermatosisM K Thomsen, Asger L Jensen, E Bindseil, F Kristensen1991Effects of interleukin-1α on migration of canine neutrophils in vitro and in vivoMads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Henrik Klem Thomsen1993Pharmacokinetics of Recombinant Factor VIIa in the Rat – A Comparison of Bio-, Immuno- and Isotope AssaysMads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Viggo Diness, Povl Nilsson, Søren Nørgaard Rasmussen, Tammie Taylor, Ulla Hedner1993Accumulation of the Recombinant Factor VIIa in Rat Bone: Importance of the Gla‐Domain and Relevance to Factor IX, another Vitamin K‐Dependent Clotting FactorMads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Peter Wildgoose, Povl Nilsson, Ulla Hedner1993Distribution of the Recombinant Coagulation Factor 125I-rFVIIa in RatsTammie Taylor, M K Thomsen1993A note on the effect of sulphidopeptide leukotrienes on granulocytes in asthmaM. Krogsgaard Thomsen, Ian Ahnfelt-Rønne1993ETH615, a synthetic inhibitor of leukotriene biosynthesis and function, also inhibits the production of and biological responses toward interleukin-8Mette Deleuran, Tan Jinquan, Mads K. Thomsen, Claus Zachariae, Kirsten Paludan, Ian Ahnfelt-Rønne, Kouki Matsushima, Kristian Thestrup-Pedersen, Christian Gronhoj Larsen1993Polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocyte chemotactic hyperresponsiveness in a case of canine acromegalyAsger L Jensen, Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Helle Aaes Margit Andreasen, Jan Søndergaard1994Pharmacological Characterization of a Biosynthetic Trisulfide‐Containing Hydrophobic Derivative of Human Growth Hormone: Comparison with Standard 22 K Growth HormoneMads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Birgit Sehested Hansen, Povl Nilsson Jette Nowak, Peter B Johansen, Preben Damsgaard Thomsen, Jesper Christiansen1994Studies on the Renal Kinetics of Growth Hormone (GH) and on the GH Receptor and Related Effects in AnimalsM Krogsgaard Thomsen, C Friis, B Sehested Hansen, Peter B Johansen, C Eschen, J Nowak, K Poulsen1995The delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction is dependent on IL-8. Inhibition of a tuberculin skin reaction by an anti-IL-8 monoclonal antibody.Christian Gronhoj Larsen, M K Thomsen, Borbala Gesser, P D Thomsen, Bent Deleuran, J Nowak, V Skødt, H K Thomsen, Mette Deleuran, K Thestrup-Pedersen1996Effects of heparin and aminoguanidine on glomerular basement membrane thickening in diabetic ratsPeter Oturai, R Rasch, E Hasselager, Peter B Johansen, H Yokoyama, M K Thomsen, Bjarne Myrup, Allan kofoed-enevoldsen, T Deckert
Awards and recognition Thomsen has been recognized for his contributions to pharmaceutical research and development. His work has supported advancements in drug discovery and innovation in medical science.
Prix Galien CEE Pro Bono Humanum Award: In November 2025, Thomsen accepted the Prix Galien CEE Pro Bono Humanum Award on behalf of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, which received the distinction for its contributions to global health initiatives and scientific research. The award was presented at the Central and Eastern Europe edition of the Prix Galien programme in Warsaw, Poland. PwC Business Executive of the Year 2025: In 2025, Thomsen received PwC Denmark's Business Executive of the Year award.PwC: Prominent leaders from Novo Nordisk Foundation and Novo Holdings honored with the Business Award of the Year 2025
https://www.pwc.dk/da/arrangementer/2025/business-award-of-the-year-2025.html The distinction is presented annually to executives in Danish business who have demonstrated notable leadership, strategic influence, and impact on society. PwC's award committee highlighted Thomsen's role in leading the Novo Nordisk Foundation and its expansion of scientific, global health and sustainability initiatives. Golden Plate Award (2024): Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, presented by Awards Council member Robert S. Langer.