The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has appointed John Kearney as its new president, effective from April 24.
Kearney has over 35 years of experience in the pharma industry and currently holds the position of general manager UK and Ireland at Amgen.
He replaces Jonathan Emms, who is stepping down as president as he is leaving his role as head of Pfizer’s UK business to a new role with the company in the US.
Commenting on his appointment, Kearney said: “I am delighted to be building on the recent leadership of Jonathan Emms, at a time when the pharmaceutical industry as a whole is delivering such a high quality and quantity of new science and treatment innovations.
“I look forward to playing my part in ensuring those innovations are able to make a real difference in the funding and provision of health services, in the outstanding work of healthcare professionals in the UK, and – ultimately – to patients.”
Kearney held UK and international roles at GlaxoSmithKline and international roles at Pfizer, before joining Amgen in 2007. He has been on the board of the ABPI since 2008 where he has worked on a number of key initiatives, including leading its pricing team in negotiations with the Department of Health to secure the 2014 PPRS.
Stephen Whitehead, CEO of the ABPI, added: “I am delighted to be working alongside John as president. His unique experience and expertise across the industry will be crucial as he leads the ABPI and the UK pharmaceutical industry through the opportunities and challenges in 2015.”