Astellas names Barretto-Ko senior vice president of corporate strategy and government affairs

Deerfield-based Astellas U.S. has named Percival Barretto-Ko as senior vice president, corporate strategy and government affairs, a new position added to the company’s leadership team.  Barretto-Ko will be responsible for corporate planning, business development, government policy and external affairs and state government affairs.

“This realignment brings key strategic functions closer together at the corporate level,” President and CEO Masao Yoshida said.  “Percival has an outstanding track record both in the pharmaceutical industry and at Astellas’ European operations.  He will be a great addition to our senior management team.”

Barretto-Ko will move from the position of executive director, corporate strategy and communications at Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd.  While there, he led the global launch of Astellas’ new pipeline drug, Advagraf (tacrolimus prolonged release) in 20 countries. He was promoted to lead the organization’s corporate planning function and ultimately directed corporate strategy, corporate planning, corporate communications, crisis management and corporate social responsibility.

Before joining Astellas, he held increasingly more senior marketing and sales positions with the Roche Group in the United States and United Kingdom. Barretto-Ko earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University, an MBA from Yale School of Management, and an MS from MIT Sloan School of Management, where he recently served as a Sloan Fellow for Innovation and Global Leadership.