Bristol Myers Squibb Creates New Leadership Role, Appointing Karen Costello as General Manager for Ireland

Uxbridge, Middlesex, 1 November 2024 – Bristol Myers Squibb today announced the appointment of Karen Costello as the new General Manager for its commercial operations in Ireland. In this new role, Karen will lead the delivery of Bristol Myers Squibb’s local commercial strategy, with a focus on evolving how the company engages with customers and stakeholders to drive faster patient access to the medicines they need.

A native of County Kerry, Karen joined Bristol Myers Squibb in 2001, initially working in a field-based role and subsequently marketing roles at affiliate, regional, and global levels. Her experience spans the spectrum of Bristol Myers Squibb medicines in the areas of haematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, and neuroscience. In her most recent role, Karen was Vice President of Haematology Marketing in the United States, where she played an instrumental role in launching and driving treatment adoption for a group of cancers with urgent unmet need.

Commenting on her appointment, Karen Costello said: “I’m delighted to be back on home ground and to be taking on this new role at such an important time. There’s a huge opportunity ahead of us. Drawing from my years of experience across multiple markets, I am excited to focus on patients in Ireland, working with health system stakeholders to expedite access to medicines, and leveraging my expertise to build upon the remarkable work that has already been done."

Bristol Myers Squibb was one of the first pharmaceutical companies to locate in Ireland, with its first site opening in County Dublin. Today, the company employs nearly 1,000 highly skilled people across its three sites in Ireland, which play a critical role as a global hub in production, development, and the supply chain network.

Reporting into Guy Oliver, General Manager for the UK and Ireland cluster, Karen will sit on both the UK and Ireland Affiliate Leadership Team and the Ireland Leadership Council.

Commenting on her appointment, Guy Oliver said: “Karen is rejoining us at an exciting time and taking on a critical leadership role during an important period of renewal for our company. She’s been with Bristol Myers Squibb for more than 20 years, holding several senior positions in the UK and globally across different therapy areas. With her impressive track record as a collaborative leader, knowledge of the complex external environment in which we operate, and a passion for innovation, Karen is uniquely qualified to drive our strategic vision for Ireland forward.”