Ruud was appointed President and EVP, BioPharmaceuticals Business Unit in January 2019 and is responsible for US and Global product strategy and commercial delivery for Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism (CVRM) and Respiratory diseases. Prior to this, Ruud held the role of EVP, North America since August 2016. Ruud joined Astra in 1997 and has held various senior commercial and leadership roles, including as EVP, Europe, Regional Vice-President of AstraZeneca’s European, Middle East and African division, Regional Vice-President for the Asia Pacific region and Interim Executive Vice-President, Global Product and Portfolio Strategy.
In June 2021, Ruud was appointed as a non-executive director of the Board of Almirall, a leading skin health-focused biopharmaceutical company. Previously he was an Executive Committee Member of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations and was also Chairman of the Asia division of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
Holding a doctorate in immunology from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, Ruud began his career as a scientist, researching in the field of immunology and ageing.
