ABPI announces new chief executive

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has announced who will take over as its new chief executive when Mike Thompson steps down.

Earlier this year, current chief executive Mike Thompson announced he would retire at the end of 2019. Thompson has served as chief executive since 2016, following a 20-year stint at GSK where he was senior vice president for global commercial strategy and platforms.  

Starting in January 2020, Dr Richard Torbett will act as the ABPI’s new chief executive. Torbett joined the ABPI in July 2015 and during his tenure was responsible for negotiating the 2019 Voluntary Scheme for Medicine Pricing and Access.

In the past 14 years, Torbett has worked across a number of senior roles in pharma, working with the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) and Pfizer. More so, he worked as a government economist at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the UK.

ABPI President Haseeb Ahmad said: “I am delighted that Richard has been appointed as ABPI’s new Chief Executive. Richard is a hugely respected figure within our industry both internationally and in the UK.

We share an ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to research, develop and use new medicines and I look forward to working with him.”

Dr Richard Torbett said: “I am proud to work for an industry that has such a profound effect on patients’ lives, and I am hugely excited about taking up the role of Chief Executive of the ABPI.

At this critical time for our country it’s vital that the world-leading UK life sciences industry continues to thrive. I look forward to working with all of our members and partners in Government and the NHS to achieve this.”