AstraZeneca has named Rick R. Suarez Senior Vice President, US President and Head of the US BioPharmaceuticals Business Unit.

Suarez will lead the execution of the company’s previously announced $50 billion US research, development and manufacturing investment, including construction of a $4.5 billion manufacturing facility in Virginia, AstraZeneca’s largest single manufacturing investment globally.

The investment underpins AstraZeneca’s goal of generating $80 billion in Total Revenue by 2030, with half expected to come from the US, the company’s largest market.

Suarez said: “We are operating at a moment of unprecedented scientific opportunity. Our responsibility is to translate that science into results for patients and for the US healthcare system. By strengthening our US manufacturing and R&D footprint, we will expand access to innovative medicines, create highly skilled jobs, and deliver long-term value.”

Suarez will have full responsibility for AstraZeneca’s US BioPharmaceuticals organization, with accountability for performance, growth and execution across the portfolio.

Suarez brings more than 20 years of experience in the US healthcare sector, with leadership roles spanning commercial, medical and market access functions at AstraZeneca. He returns to the US after serving as Country President for Spain since 2020, where he led one of AstraZeneca’s strongest performing European markets. He expanded Spain’s role in global clinical development and positioned Barcelona as a strategic hub for innovation.

During his tenure in Spain, Suarez established a new global hub in Barcelona and launched the AstraZeneca Healthcare Innovation Hub, committing more than $10 million to digital health and data-driven initiatives focused on translational innovation.

Suarez will be based at AstraZeneca’s US headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware. His appointment is effective immediately.