Straight-Talking Teva Boss May Find Mylan Toughest Target

There’s a bit of slang colleagues often alight upon when describing Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Erez Vigodman: “dugri,” a word Israelis use to describe straight talkers.

To persuade Teva’s board to give him the top job at the world’s biggest maker of generic drugs a little over a year ago, Vigodman didn’t try to downplay his lack of industry experience. Instead, the former accountant wooed each director with charts about his strategy and track record for having put two prior employers, Strauss Group Ltd. and the agro-chemicals behemoth Makhteshim-Agan Industries Ltd., back on the growth track.