In our ongoing commitment to better serve patients through development of innovative therapies that address unmet needs, Astellas is proud to share recent top leadership appointments across our business units for employees based in the US.

• Marie Rosenfeld was promoted to senior vice president, Clinical Sciences
• Caroline Walkinshaw was promoted to vice president, Commercial Insights
• Rod Christmon was promoted to vice president, Human Resources for Astellas research functions
• Michael Rucci was promoted to vice president and Global Head of HR Rewards
• La Toya McClellan was appointed to senior director and Head of Engagement, Diversity & Inclusion.

Marie Rosenfeld, formerly vice president, Clinical Sciences, leads the Clinical Science organization with responsibility for operational planning and execution of Astellas’ clinical development programs and clinical studies as well operational excellence in support of study delivery. Since joining Astellas in 2011, Marie held several positions in the Astellas clinical organization, managing clinical delivery teams, supporting regulatory filings and clinical inspection activities.

Caroline Walkinshaw, formerly executive director, Commercial Strategy & Capabilities, heads the new central Commercial Insights function to support business growth through understanding customer needs, competitive dynamics and market trends, including capabilities such as market research, competitive intelligence, forecasting, analytics and data strategy. Caroline first joined Astellas in 2011 to lead the US Market Intelligence organization followed by roles in Global Marketing Strategy and Commercial Strategy & Capabilities.

Rod Christmon, formerly executive director, Human Resources, is responsible for leading strategic HR initiatives for the company’s research functions including Medical & Development, Pharma Technology and Research affiliates. Since joining Astellas in 2008, Rod has held varying roles of responsibility in Human Resources including launching the company’s first Diversity & Inclusion function. Prior to Astellas, Rod held HR roles at Kraft Heinz Company supporting multiple headquarter functions and manufacturing sites.  

Michael Rucci, formerly executive director, Human Resources, leads the design and implementation of competitive, performance-driven and fair reward programs inclusive of compensation, benefits, and global mobility aligned to Astellas’ business and people strategies. Michael joined Astellas in 2016 and prior to Astellas held consulting director roles at Aon Hewitt.

La Toya McClellan, formerly associate director, Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion, leads global employee engagement and oversees global diversity & inclusion including strategy development, consultation, employee data analysis and expansion of Astellas’ seven employee impact groups. La Toya joined Astellas in October 2020 and prior to Astellas, held varied HR roles in the global corporate and higher education sectors.