Gilead Nabs Roche Pharma Chief

Gilead Sciences has nabbed Daniel O’Day, head of Roche’s pharma business, as its new chief executive to replace current CEO John Milligan, with effective from March 2019. Both Milligan and Chairman John Martin have announced plans to leave the US drugmaker at the end of 2018.

O’Day joined Roche in 1987 and held various roles with the company in the US before moving in 1998 to headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. Roche has named William Anderson, current CEO of its Genentech arm, to replace O’Day next year, while Gregg Alton will serve as interim CEO at Gilead from Jan. 1, 2019 until O’Day’s start date of Mar. 1.

The three decades of oncology and global commercial expertise O’Day gained at Roche are expected to help Gilead build its own global presence in its new fields of oncology and inflammation as well as transact more acquisitions and in-licensing deals, analysts said.