Executive Profiles

Script change from destined life in research to wild pace of biotech pays off.

From big pharma to underdog biotech, a mission to empower.

Applying a love for numbers in tackling drug-access delays around the world.

Bridging science and business with the end user in mind.

Excelling in specialty launch while paying it forward.

A passion for building the business engine behind treatments for rare disease.

Throwback scientist and entrepreneur leads quest to maximize gains in population health.

Startup CEO touts immunology technology to cure cancer and more.

Launching a big pharma biotech incubator during the pandemic.

Academic-focused leader advocates questioning and communicating to advance science.

Mike Gladstone, Pfizer’s Global President of Inflammation & Immunology (I&I), talks about how the company is addressing the unmet need in I&I and how its relationships with patients is fueling the quest for breakthroughs over ‘me too’ incremental improvements

Pascal Descargues, Ph.D., founder of Genoskin, talks about how the company is responding to the US government’s push to help pharma and biotech leaders speed clinical drug development and testing.

Building on early achievements as a research scientist and drug inventor, Rod MacKenzie, today the leader of global product development at Pfizer—and latest HBA Honorable Mentor—has devoted much of his career to helping others succeed, including advancing efforts to break down gender barriers in pharma.

Pharm Exec speaks to David Hysong, founder and Chief Executive Officer of SHEPHERD, whose mission, stated simply, is ”to make the drugs other companies won’t make to save lives others aren’t saving.”

Dr. Andrew (Drew) Otoo talks about how pharma employees can elevate their own value propositions.

Agile Therapeutics' CEO Al Altomari talks about his decade of leadership at the company and the process of launching a new product during COVID-19.

Dr. Matthias Schmidt talks about his new role leading the US subsidiary of Japan’s JCR Pharmaceuticals after a “far-from-easy” merger last year.

Michael Bailey, CEO of AVEO Oncology, discusses how his ultimate leadership path in biotech—the setbacks and “long slog of ups and downs”—continues to shape a patient-focused mission on bridging product development and commercialization to advance drugs for unmet need in cancer.

Pratap Khedkar, managing principal for ZS’ global pharmaceuticals practice, talks to Pharm Exec about what companies need to focus on to achieve and optimize digital transformation in 2021 and beyond.

Melissa Thompson, Alcon’s head of global corporate social responsibility, discusses her career commitment to CSR and how COVID-19 has impacted the organization’s efforts to improve access to eye care around the globe.

Sam Pearce, SVP, Head of Europe and International at Jazz Pharmaceuticals, talks about joining the company during a transformative period and how she is working to foster a bold and collaborative culture to expand Jazz’s footprint in Europe and beyond.

Mark Altmeyer, CEO of Arvelle, offers three recommendations for big pharma executives who are considering making the leap to startups.

Deeply shaped by the experiences of his parents and an early charge to help drive social change, Global Blood Therapeutics’ Ted Love comes at sickle cell disease from a place of caring and urges pharma to follow suit to bring justice to all.

Kevin Foust, Senior Director of Research & Early Development at Novartis Gene Therapies, talks to Pharm Exec about his involvement in the development of Zolgensma, the first and only gene therapy approved to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

Samit Hirawat, chief medical officer at Bristol Myers Squibb, talks about his leading role in BMS’ $300M, five-year plan to expand its efforts in health equity and his career-long commitment to putting patients first.

Matt Ros, EVP, chief strategy and business officer of Epizyme, talks to Pharm Exec about his career in oncology and his role in transforming an epigenetics R&D company into a fully integrated commercial business.

Dr. Husseini Manji talks to Pharm Exec about his new role as J&J's Head of Science for Minds and how he hopes to foster new ways to treat dementia and serious mental disorders and provide holistic mental care.

Angus Grant, Ph.D., Chief Business Executive of BeiGene, talks to Pharm Exec about his role and his vision for the company’s programs in oncology and beyond.

Anne E. White, president, Lilly Oncology, talks about how the lessons she learned from leading a startup helped her to speed Lilly’s drug development from target identification through successful launch

A glimpse inside the latest turn in Liz Barrett’s influential journey as an oncology executive—this time leaving the confines of big pharma to tackle the innovation void in treating urologic cancers.