ABPI appoints Jessamy Baird as its Vice President Elect

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has appointed Jessamy Baird as Vice-President Elect of the ABPI.

Jessamy is Managing Director/Country Lead, Sanofi UK & Ireland. At Sanofi, Jessamy leads the UK organisation to chase the miracles of science to improve people's lives and transform the practice of medicine.

She will join and support ABPI President Elect Susan Rienow, UK Managing Director and Country President of Pfizer, in delivering her presidential priorities and support the ABPI in its mission to make the UK the best place in the world to research, develop and use the medicines and vaccines of the future.

Both Jessamy and Susan will formally take up their new roles on Thursday 25 May.

Jessamy Baird, ABPI Vice-President Elect and Sanofi UK & Ireland’s Managing Director/Country Lead, said: “The pharmaceutical industry is vital to the continued health and wealth of the UK, delivering innovative, life-saving medicines to the NHS and adding £37billon to the UK economy each year. I am proud to have been elected Vice-President by my peers during this crucial period and I look forward to working with the ABPI President to ensure the UK remains a competitive and innovative global life science leader.”

Susan Rienow, ABPI President and UK Managing Director of Pfizer said: “I look forward to working with Jessamy to help the industry navigate the many challenges and opportunities ahead, while always putting patients at the heart of everything we do.

Together, with ABPI colleagues, we will work to improve the commercial environment, ensure patients have access to new medicines, and drive meaningful progress within UK life sciences and beyond towards a more sustainable future.”

Richard Torbett, ABPI Chief Executive said: “We are thrilled to welcome Jessamy into her new role of Vice-President. Together Jessamy and Susan bring a wealth of industry experience and insight. I look forward to working with them both to achieve the ABPI’s shared vision of making the UK the best place in the world to research, develop and use the medicines and vaccines of the future.”

Jessamy began her career in healthcare research/health economics following her BSc. (Hons) in Health Sciences/Health Economics from University of Aberdeen. Since then, she has worked in roles that span the pharmaceutical industry, academia and the NHS.

Jessamy’s prior role within Sanofi was Director of Market Access, UKIE, supporting national and local healthcare access for patients to Sanofi medicines and vaccines. Before joining Sanofi in 2015, she worked at Eli Lilly Ltd in a range of director roles covering Real World Evidence, Market Access strategy and Health Technology Appraisal across Australia, Canada, Europe and Japan.

Jessamy has held Non-Executive/Board level roles in the NHS for more than 10 years, the most recent being Non-Executive Adviser for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Partnership, North Hants CCG, previously a Non-Executive Director at the Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust, and also worked as Executive Director on the Trust Board of an NHS Foundation Trust providing mental health and community care across Hampshire.