Simon Jose appointed as new head of ABPI

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has announced Simon Jose, senior vice president and general manager of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has been appointed as president designate.

Jose joined GSK in 1986 and has held several sales and marketing roles, in Europe and North America, during this time. He took up his current role as senior vice president and general manager in February 2008 and became a member of the ABPI's Board of Management in May 2008.

Talking about his new appointment, Jose said: "I am pleased to have the opportunity to represent our industry in the UK at such an important time for the pharmaceutical sector. The UK government has recognised the importance of the life science industry. It is both an engine of growth to support economic recovery and a continuing source of new medicines and vaccines to help the NHS deliver improved health during a time of limited resources. Against this backdrop, the industry itself is going through a period of considerable and rapid change."

Jose will take over the role from current president, Chris Brinsmead, on April 28. He will hold the role for one year, with the option for re-election for a further 12 months.

Richard Barker, director general of the ABPI, said: "This is a crucial year in our relationship with the government, especially as this is a general election year. As we have seen with the recent publication of the Office for Life Sciences 2010 report, there is significant benefit to be had from collaboration between government, the NHS, academia and the industry to deliver truly tangible results. Continued commitment to this strategy is crucial to the further positive development of the life sciences sector. I very much look forward to working with Simon to continue the positive progress being made."