Kyowa Kirin names Zieziula its president, North America, succeeding Stratford

Kyowa Kirin Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company based in Bedminster, announced on Thursday it has named Gary Zieziula to president, North America, effective April 1.

Zieziula, who has 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently served as president and managing director at EMD Serono, North America, a subsidiary of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. He also held senior commercial and sales leadership roles at AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Roche, Bristol Myers Squibb and Merck & Co. He’s a current member of Kyowa’s North American board of directors.

“I look forward to working with teams across Kyowa Kirin North America to accelerate our growth,” Zieziula said. “Across research, development and commercialization, I see a real passion for helping patients and advocating for their needs. That commitment is key to addressing today’s challenges and executing plans to take our business to the next level.”

Zieziula will be succeeding Thomas Stratford, who joined Kyowa in 2011.

“We believe the North America business will benefit greatly from Gary’s leadership experience, passion for our business and proven ability to drive results,” Masashi Miyamoto, CEO and president, Kyowa Kirin Co. Ltd., said “Our company has an exciting portfolio of specialty medicines, and is well-positioned to continue our success. I am looking forward to working with Gary and our entire leadership team to ensure a seamless transition as we strive to meet patients’ needs with innovative therapies.”