Top 10: CEOs in Pharmaceuticals

With growing rates of cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease diagnoses, innovation in modern medicine is increasingly important to help combat these risks.

Through advanced diagnostics, targeted pharmaceuticals, preventative vaccines and digital health tools that allow for earlier intervention, pharmaceutical companies are finding ways to make these global concerns less of a threat to the world's population.

From obesity injections to oncology drugs and vaccines for communicable diseases, pharma CEOs play a critical role in ensuring their organisations are taking the front seat in terms of innovation. These leaders have made their way into Business Chief's top CEOs at pharmaceutical companies.

10. Paul Hudson

Company: Sanofi

Revenue: US$43.6bn

Location: Paris, France

Previously CEO of Novartis, Paul is reshaping Sanofi into a modern healthcare company through a strong focus on discovery, development and manufacturing.

Under his leadership since 2019, the company has prioritised social impact, focusing on organisational culture and putting health and environmental sustainability at the core of its long-term strategy. 

9. David Ricks

Company:  Eli Lilly

Revenue: US$45bn

Location: Indiana, US

A Lilly veteran for more than 25 years with experience across marketing, drug development and international operations, David became CEO in 2017.

He has transformed the firm into one of the most valuable pharma companies by focusing on drugs for obesity and diabetes.

To accelerate growth, he has shifted the company culture to be more competitive, prioritising a high-output innovation pipeline.

8. Mike Doustdar

Company: Novo Nordisk

Revenue: US$48.96bn

Location: Bagsværd, Denmark

Starting as an office clerk in 1992, Mike worked his way up to Executive Vice President of International Relations, where he more than doubled sales outside the US to DKK122bn (IS$19.3bn) in 2024.

Stepping into the top seat in 2025 after the previous CEO left amid competition in the weight loss drug market, he plans to use his past successes in the diabetes and obesity sectors to remain competitive.

7. Vasant Narasimhan 

Company: Novartis

Revenue: US$50.3bn

Location: Basel, Switzerland

Vasant (Vas) has led a strategic transformation at Novartis since becoming CEO in 2018, delivering high-value medicines that alleviate some of society’s greatest diseases.

Through technology leadership in research and development, he led the firm to reach more than 250 million patients in 2023.

Vas has sharpened the company’s focus on key therapeutic areas including gene and cell therapies, and medicines for rare genetic disorders.

6. Pascal Soriot

Company: AstraZeneca

Revenue: US$54.07bn

Location: Cambridge, UK

As CEO of the British-Sweden multinational pharmaceutical company, a position he has held since 2012, Pascal has transformed the business from facing declining profits into a global powerhouse.

He shifted the company’s focus heavily toward oncology, which has become a primary growth driver.

Under his leadership, AstraZeneca partnered with Oxford University to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, supplying over three billion doses to more than 180 countries.

5. Robert Michael

Company: AbbVie

Revenue: US$56.33bn

Location: Illinois, US

Robert is an AbbVie veteran who previously served as the company’s Chief Operating Officer.

He has been integral to the firm’s growth and strategy, particularly during the transition away from reliance on its former blockbuster drug, Humira.

The CEO has played a major role in the successful launch and rapid growth of successor treatments Skyrizi and Rinvoq, which are projected to drive future growth.

4. Robert Davis 

Company: Merck and Co.

Revenue: US$65bn

Location: New Jersey, US

Known as MSD outside of the US and Canada, Robert has kept the company fully committed to leading-edge science and savings in order to improve lives around the world.

Under the CEO since 2021, MSD’s finances have shown significant improvement, driven by robust revenue growth in oncology and animal health.

The phase III pipeline has almost tripled since 2021, supported by in-house developments and strategic acquisitions.

3. Albert Bourla

Company: Pfizer

Revenue: US$62.6bn

Location: New York, US

Pfizer veteran Albert has led Pfizer since 2019, steering it through a massive transformation from a diversified conglomerate into a focused, science-driven biopharmaceutical company.

He is widely credited with accelerating the development of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, taking high-risk, upfront financial risks to manufacture it before FDA approval to speed up the distribution.

Following the decline in pandemic-related revenue, Albert has led a pivot towards cancer treatments.

2. Thomas Schinecker 

Company: Roche Holding AG

Revenue: US$79.26bn

Location: Basel, Switzerland

Since taking to the helm in 2023, Thomas has focused on rejuvenating Roche’s research and development pipeline and accelerating innovation to counter the loss of revenue from patent expiration on older blockbuster legacy drugs.

The company has seen major developments in key areas throughout his tenure, including positive clinical trials for new medicines in obesity, multiple sclerosis and breast cancer.

Thomas has also accelerated the use of AI and digital tools in drug development and diagnostics.

A long-term Roche employee who joined in 2003, he previously led the company’s Diagnostics Division, where he gained prominence for navigating the company through the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. Joaquin Duato

Company: Johnson & Johnson

Revenue: US$94.19bn

Location: New Jersey, US

Joaquin was appointed as Chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson in 2022, tasked with leading the company’s focus on innovative medicines and medical technology.

Under his leadership, the firm completed the separation of its consumer health business into Kenvue, acquired Abiomed for US$16.6bn and is aggressively integrating data science and AI into healthcare, emphasising a digital health revolution.

With over three decades at J&J, he has worked across multiple geographies, functions and business segments to develop a deep understanding of how the pharmaceutical company solves patients’ health challenges.