Essential Pharma appoints experienced pharmaceutical leaders Simon Ramsden and Rob Smith to leadership team
Egham, UK – 03 July 2025 – Essential Pharma (“Essential” or “the Company”), a global pharmaceutical company developing and delivering medicines for patients in niche populations, today announces the appointment of Simon Ramsden as Chief Financial Officer and Rob Smith as Chief Technology Officer, both with immediate effect.
Simon brings over 20 years of pharmaceutical and healthcare industry experience in finance, business development, and M&A transactions. He was most recently CFO at Resolution Therapeutics for two years, before which he served as VP, Head of Global Finance at EUSA Pharma, overseeing all financial operations across nine international locations.
Prior to this, he spent nine years in senior finance roles at GSK, latterly managing a global budget in the Consumer Health R&D team. Simon is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland with expertise spanning commercial finance partnering, business development, and leading cross-functional teams across organizations ranging from startups to multinationals.
Rob brings over 30 years of pharmaceutical industry experience across operations, product development, and manufacturing strategy. He was most recently CEO at Surepharm Services Ltd, before which he spent 11 years at Catalent Pharma Solutions across multiple senior roles.
Prior to this, Rob held several senior operational and development roles at Patheon Inc. and Sanofi-Aventis, where he spent over 12 years leading site development projects. Rob has a strong quality background and product development knowledge, with expertise in introducing new technology and innovation linked with continuous improvement to support business development and commercial strategy across the pharmaceutical sector.
Emma Johnson, CEO of Essential Pharma, commented: “We are thrilled to welcome Simon and Rob to our leadership team at this pivotal time for Essential Pharma. Simon’s financial leadership and deep understanding of the pharmaceutical industry will be crucial as we advance our development pipeline and pursue strategic opportunities for our growing portfolio. Rob’s broad experience in pharmaceutical operations and technology, combined with his track record of building successful teams, will help us accelerate our growth and enhance our operational excellence as we work to make a difference for patients in niche populations worldwide.”
About Essential Pharma
Essential Pharma is a global pharmaceutical company developing and delivering medicines for patients in niche populations. We have a proven track record of acquiring, investing in and commercialising treatments. Our growing product portfolio reaches patients in approximately 70 countries, and we cover multiple therapy areas with a particular focus on rare disease, CNS, ophthalmology and gastroenterology. Our first development-stage asset is an anti-GD2 antibody for the treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma. We challenge convention and work smarter to help ensure patients in small, underserved or rare disease populations have access to the medicines they need.
Every patient matters. For more information, visit www.essentialpharmagroup.com
CONTACTS
Essential Pharma
Emma Johnson, CEO
Tel: +44(0)1784 477 167
Email: info@essentialpharmaceuticals.com
ICR Healthcare
Tracy Cheung/Chris Welsh/Lucy Featherstone
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700
