Ramona Sequeira is the President of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA).  Breaking new ground is nothing new for Ramona Sequeira. A few weeks ago, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the industry’s largest trade group, announced that Sequeira has officially become chair of the organization’s board of directors. She is the first woman — and first woman of color — to take on the job.

In the new role, she’ll be focusing on healthcare equity and diversity, while tapping into her arsenal of leadership skills honed over 20 years in the industry.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) today announced that Ramona Sequeira, President of Takeda’s U.S. Business Unit and Global Portfolio Commercialization, has assumed the role of chair of the PhRMA Board of Directors. Sequeira is the first woman to hold this top leadership position representing the biopharmaceutical industry. Vas Narasimhan, M.D., of Novartis and Daniel O’Day of Gilead Sciences, Inc., also assumed leadership positions on the PhRMA board.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country’s leading innovative biopharmaceutical research companies, which are devoted to discovering and developing medicines that enable patients to live longer, healthier and more productive lives. Over the last decade, PhRMA member companies have more than doubled their annual investment in the search for new treatments and cures, including nearly $101 billion in 2022 alone.