NORTHBROOK, Ill., June 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas today announced that Tarsis Lopez has been appointed to the role of associate director, external and digital communications, as part of the newly formed Corporate Affairs department. Lopez will manage media relations and digital channel communications for Astellas in the Americas, including a focus on Astellas' presence in Latin America. Lopez will report to Moyra Knight, senior director, Employee and Corporate Communications, in Corporate Affairs.

"As Astellas recognizes its 10^th anniversary in 2015, the next step in our evolution is to support a unified message and further build brand awareness throughout the Americas and globally," said Jeff Winton, senior vice president, chief communications officer, Corporate Affairs. "Tarsis' deep experience in both national and international external relations will provide the team valuable insights and will be vital to realizing our corporate goals."

Lopez has more than 16 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and public relations agency setting. Most recently, Lopez worked at Takeda Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. in its vaccines franchise where he supported both external and internal communications for the business. Lopez was previously at Baxter International Inc. where he handled communications for Latin America and Canada. Lopez earned a bachelor's degree in journalism with a minor in Spanish as well as an area certificate in Latin American and Caribbean studies at Indiana University and a master's degree in corporate communications from DePaul University. 

Winton oversees the newly formed Corporate Affairs department at Astellas. This department combines State and Federal Government Affairs, Corporate, Employee and Business Communications, Advocacy, Corporate Branding, Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Events, effectively uniting the Astellas voice among all internal and external stakeholders.

About Astellas
Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceuticals. For more information on Astellas, please visit our website at www.astellas.us, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AstellasUS or like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AstellasUS.

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SOURCE Astellas