James (jim) Robinson

Biography

 Jim Robinson is a respected and proven health care executive and passionate leader who was named president of Astellas Americas on April 1, 2016. In this role, Robinson is responsible for the company’s growing operations in North and South America. Prior to this promotion, Robinson led the company’s pharmaceutical commercial organization in the U.S., a role that he held since 2013. Robinson is also the executive sponsor of Astellas' African American employee resource group. Robinson’s nearly 25-year career spans a variety of diverse disciplines within the health care industry, including sales, marketing, new product planning, market access, reimbursement, state government affairs and managed markets. He joined Astellas in 2005 as vice president of health systems. Robinson has led commercial efforts in a wide range of therapeutic areas throughout his career, including virology, oncology, cardiovascular, urology, dermatology and anti-infectives. Prior to joining Astellas, he served as an executive at the former Schering-Plough Corporation, which was acquired by Merck & Company in 2009. Beginning his career as a sales representative in 1992, he quickly advanced through the corporation, rising to vice president in charge of hepatitis sales and managed care. In this position, Robinson led the largest specialty pharmaceutical sales division within Schering-Plough. Robinson contributes his vision and expertise to the pharmaceutical industry and the business community by serving on several boards, including the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Board of Directors. He also serves as chairman of the PhRMA State Committee, providing direction on the trade association’s state-level policy and legislative priorities, and sits on the Board of the Executive’s Committee. Robinson is a member of The Commercial Club of Chicago and serves on the BioScience Council for ChicagoNEXT, a private-public partnership dedicated to expanding Chicago’s business climate and driving growth and opportunity in science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. Robinson is a founding member and serves on the board of directors of MATTER, a group of leaders passionate about creating products and services that advance the healthcare industry. He is also on the Board of Directors for the Chicago Botanic Garden.  Robinson is a graduate of DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois.  A native of Skokie, Illinois, Robinson currently resides in Kenilworth, Illinois.

Research Interest

 Robinson contributes his vision and expertise to the pharmaceutical industry and the business community by serving on several boards, including the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Board of Directors.