Princeton, New Jersey, United States, June 2025 — SUN PHARMA has announced the appointment of Richard Ascroft as Chief Executive Officer – North America, where he will oversee operations in the United States and Canada. With a distinguished pharmaceutical career spanning more than 30 years, Richard steps into this pivotal role at a time when the company is poised for accelerated growth across generics, specialty medicines, and innovative therapies.
Prior to this appointment, Richard served as Senior Vice President and Business Unit Head – U.S. Plasma-Derived Therapies at Takeda, where he was a key member of both the U.S. and global leadership teams. At Takeda, he played a critical role in leading strategic commercial operations, optimizing patient services, and advancing complex therapeutic portfolios.
Richard’s illustrious career began at Eli Lilly and Company, where he spent over two decades in roles of increasing responsibility across clinical operations, corporate affairs, market access, and public policy—culminating in his leadership of the Europe, Australia, and Canada corporate affairs division. His expertise in pricing, health policy, market access, and advocacy has made him a go-to leader for navigating the complex regulatory and payer environment in the pharmaceutical sector.
His new mandate at SUN PHARMA includes driving innovation-led growth, enhancing market presence in North America, and expanding the company’s specialty product offerings—particularly in key focus areas such as dermatology, oncology, and emerging therapies. With his extensive experience across global markets and deep understanding of regulatory, commercial, and clinical functions, Richard is expected to reinforce SUN PHARMA’s leadership in the global specialty generics space.
Richard holds a Juris Doctor (JD) in Law from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Butler University, and completed his pre-pharmacy studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His unique combination of legal, clinical, and commercial education sets him apart as a holistic healthcare executive.
SUN PHARMA
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. is the world’s fourth-largest specialty generic pharmaceutical company and the largest pharmaceutical company in India. Trusted by healthcare professionals and patients in over 100 countries, Sun Pharma has built a global presence with 40+ manufacturing facilities, cutting-edge R&D centres, and a workforce representing more than 50 nationalities. Backed by 3,000+ scientists and an innovation-led culture, Sun Pharma invests 6–8% of annual revenues in research to ensure a steady stream of differentiated products. Its employee philosophy, “Create Your Own Sunshine,” empowers people to grow through autonomy, collaboration, and continual learning.
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