Gilead appoints ex-BMS exec as chief commercial officer

Gilead Sciences has announced that Johanna Mercier will join the company as chief commercial officer, and will become a member of the company’s senior leadership team.

Johanna will assume responsibility for the company’s commercial operations effective July 1, when Laura Hamill, executive vice president worldwide commercial operations, will be departing from Gilead.

She joins Gilead from Bristol-Myers Squibb, where she most recently served as president and head of the company’s large markets division, which includes the United States, France, Germany and Japan. In addition to her executive position at BMS, she is a director on the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Board. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Concordia University and a Bachelor of Sciences in Biology from the University of Montreal.

“I believe that Johanna has the skills to continue to strengthen our performance and position Gilead for long-term success, building on the great talent I have seen across the organisation since joining the company several months ago,” said Daniel O’Day, chairman and chief executive officer.

He continued, “She is a talented leader with a deep understanding of the pharmaceutical industry, across therapeutic markets and geographies, as well as a proven ability to input the commercial perspective into development strategies. I look forward to welcoming her to Gilead and to working closely with her to ensure optimal commercial delivery that puts the needs of patients at the centre of all we do.”