Ralph A Zaat (MD, MBA) acts as Strategy Advisor to Akceso since its inception.

In his corporate role, Ralph is President of Kowa Pharmaceutical & Research Europe, Middle East & North Africa. He is responsible for developing and implementing the commercial, clinical development and market access strategies, whilst ensuring state of the art quality assurance, pharmacovigilance, manufacturing and supply chain standards, focusing on the cardio metabolic and ophthalmology therapeutic areas. He sits on the Board of Kowa Pharmaceutical Europe Co. Ltd and Kowa Research Europe Ltd.

Ralph is a highly accomplished global senior biopharmaceutical executive with more than twenty years of commercial, general and regional management experience with leading companies (Novartis, Merck Serono, Bial Pharma) in high growth emerging markets in Asia Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe, Baltics, Middle East and Africa, Latin America, as well as in developed markets (Region North and Western Europe, USA), managing country and regional organizations ranging from 30-2’500 employees, revenues from € 20-450 mio, operating in mass markets (cardiology; neurology, diabetes, branded generics) and specialty markets (immunology; infectious diseases; endocrinology/fertility; oncology; allergic immunotherapy).

His experiences range from operational P&L management to business strategy development and implementation; sales, medical, marketing and market access excellence; specialty brands launch excellence; generic defense strategies; leadership in cross cultural environments; R&D, manufacturing and supply chain management.

Ralph has a Life Sciences and Business background, with a medical degree from the Free University Amsterdam and a master’s in Business Administration from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University.