Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously selected Renee Gala, the company's President and Chief Operating Officer, as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective August 11, 2025. The appointment represents a key milestone in the Board's long-term succession planning process and follows co-founder Bruce Cozadd's December 2024 announcement of his intent to retire as CEO.
Strategic Leadership Transition
The selection follows what the Board described as a "robust succession process" that evaluated both internal and external candidates. Rick Winningham, Lead Independent Director, emphasized that Gala was "the clear standout" among highly qualified candidates, citing her compelling experience and track record of driving high performance and change at Jazz through both corporate development and operational initiatives.
Gala brings more than 30 years of experience across finance, strategy, corporate development, and commercialization. She was promoted to President and COO in October 2023 after serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since March 2020. In her current role, she oversees global business operations including commercial, medical, research and development, technical operations and quality, as well as corporate strategy.
Driving Transformation and Growth
Under Gala's leadership as CFO and later COO, Jazz has undergone significant transformation. She has played a critical role in architecting a business development strategy that has diversified the company's portfolio, driven total revenue growth of nearly 90%, built broad capabilities, and established a pipeline positioned for value creation and sustainable growth.
The company's oncology pivot has been central to this growth story, with oncology rising to over 50% of sales during Gala's tenure. As COO since 2023, she has spearheaded operational efficiencies aimed at boosting margins by 5 percentage points by 2025. Her deep experience in finance and business development was instrumental in Jazz's $935 million acquisition of Chimerix in April 2025.
Pipeline and Financial Performance
Jazz's Q1 2025 revenue reached $898 million, with oncology contributing over half. The company maintains ambitious targets including a $5 billion revenue goal by 2025. Key pipeline assets include zanidatamab (Ziihera®), a HER2-targeted antibody with Phase 3 data in first-line gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma due in Q3, and dordaviprone, which faces a Priority Review FDA decision on August 18 for recurrent glioma.
The neuroscience portfolio remains robust, with narcolepsy drug Xywav growing 9% in Q1 to $345 million, though facing headwinds as Xyrem declines. Lurbinectedin (Zepzelca®) showed survival benefits in first-line SCLC data presented at ASCO 2025, setting the stage for potential supplemental NDA approval.
Leadership Vision
"I am honored to step into the CEO role and build upon Jazz's extraordinary legacy, fueled by exceptional people, a spirit of purpose and an unwavering commitment to patients," said Gala. "With a market-leading portfolio of medicines, a promising pipeline, a strong financial position and an ongoing focus on corporate development, Jazz has immense potential—and more work to be done to realize it."
Cozadd, who co-founded Jazz 22 years ago, expressed confidence in the transition: "In her role as Jazz's CFO and then as our President and COO, Renee's leadership has been critical in Jazz's transformation into a high-growth biopharmaceutical company fueled by a strong R&D pipeline and robust commercial operations."
Strategic Outlook
The leadership transition positions Jazz to capitalize on multiple near-term catalysts, including FDA decisions and trial readouts expected in 2025. Gala's operational and financial expertise will be critical to optimizing Jazz's pipeline and executing on high-stakes regulatory and clinical milestones as the company pursues its ambitious growth targets in oncology and neuroscience.
