De Castro takes the helm of J&J Innovative Medicine ANZ as Voegeli heads to European leadership role

Pharma News: Johnson & Johnson has announced the appointment of Joana De Castro as the new Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand. De Castro will take over from Urs Voegeli, who has been named the new Managing Director of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine in Germany, the second largest market for the company.

Prior to this new role, De Castro served as the Managing Director for Latin America North, where she led the business to historic growth and secured the #1 market position in each of J&J’s key therapeutic areas.

De Castro began her career with J&J in 2011 as a pharmaceutical sales representative in Venezuela, which she describes as an opportunity to “see first-hand the impact J&J has on patients.” She has since held multiple roles in the healthcare sector, gaining extensive regional and local experience across different countries.

Cyril Titeux, Company Group Chairman, Asia Pacific, stated “It was important to ensure a seamless leadership transition in a market as critical as ANZ, and we look forward to welcoming Joana to the Asia Pacific region.”

He further expressed confidence in De Castro’s expertise, stating, “Joana will lead the ANZ team in accelerating patient access to our transformational innovations, developing our world-class talent, and ultimately delivering sustainable business growth and a healthier future for patients.”

Under Voegeli’s leadership, the ANZ team fortified their market-leading revenue position in Australia. This was accomplished through a combination of exceptional customer execution and robust product access and reimbursement outcomes, according to the company. The #1 ranking was initially achieved in late 2022 and has since been solidified under Voegeli’s tenure.

In addition, Adam Wyldeck, Head of Communications & Public Affairs at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine ANZ, has taken on the international role leading communications and public affairs for the US oncology business, which is the #1 market for the company. Wyldeck will be working closely with former ANZ boss Biljana Naumovic who is the Worldwide Vice President of Global Commercial Strategy Oncology, in addition to Tyrone Brewer, President of US Oncology.

“The US Oncology business is very much the jewel in the J&J crown. We have an incredible portfolio across haematology and solid tumours and an even more exciting pipeline. I feel humbled to be given the opportunity to lead communications and public affairs for such an important part of the company and I am excited to get stuck into it,” Wyldeck told Health Industry Hub.

He added, “I’m also extremely proud of the work we have done in ANZ over the last three years and the team I have built. They are the best team in the industry and are well positioned to deliver award winning work on behalf of the business and for patients.”

Reflecting on the leadership changes, Titeux remarked, “The transition of these roles is a part of J&J’s commitment to developing global leaders that excel across the world stage.”

The leadership changes are due to take place in August, pending visa approval.

In reimagining healthcare across the entire patient journey, Health Industry Hub^TM is the only one-stop-hub uniting the diversity of the Pharma, MedTech, Diagnostics & Biotech sectors to inspire meaningful change.

The Health Industry Hub^TM content is copyright protected. Access is available under individual user licenses. Please click here to subscribe and visit T&Cs here.