Most recently, Mr Velmer was senior vice president of Western Europe at Merck Serono in Frankfurt, Germany, where he was responsible for the management of 16 countries across Europe.
Prior to joining Merck Serono, Mr Velmer held a series of progressive senior executive positions with Johnson & Johnson and Bayer in Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America.
Andreas Krebs, president of Europe/Middle East/Africa and Canada at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, said: “Mr Velmer brings to his new position an extensive knowledge of pharmaceutical company management. I’m pleased to welcome him aboard and I look forward to the continued progress of the Canadian business under his leadership.”