2023 was another impressive year for AstraZeneca, with total revenue (excluding COVID-19 medicines) growing by 15% and driven by all therapy areas across all regions.

This year, AstraZeneca celebrates its 25th anniversary, and we are excited about the opportunities ahead. Our expanding portfolio of approved medicines, global reach and R&D pipeline ensures we will serve more patients and deliver industry-leading growth.

Looking back at last year, I am reminded, not just of the impact I have been able to have within my role but also how much I have learnt, through a rapidly changing eco-system and the amazing teams I am fortunate to work with.

My diverse country, regional and global experiences at AstraZeneca have shaped my approach to leadership, allowing me to consider situations from multiple angles, while empowering teams and individuals to bring their own diversity of thinking. In turn, I believe this leads to better patient outcomes.

Continuing to balance a demanding career while doing my best to be a good mum to my young children, has taught me the importance of adaptability, prioritisation, resilience, curiosity and putting things in perspective. It’s a constant reminder to be empathetic to others, as well as being kind to myself. Indeed, recognising my own boundaries and aspirations has enabled me to be more considerate to other people’s ambitions.

At AstraZeneca we have a bold ambition to eliminate cancer as a cause of death. We’ve focused on developing targeted therapies, addressing both prevalent and under-researched cancers, but our commitment extends beyond our medicines.

We are dedicated to changing patient care models, whether through enabling genetic testing at diagnosis to support patient treatment access or implementing screening initiatives to support early diagnosis. The company always strives to deliver scientific breakthroughs for patients, regardless of location or background.

The Oncology portfolio I’m accountable for helps advance patient care in ovarian cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer. For patients with ovarian cancer with a homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), we are aiming to improve survival expectations, by collaborating with healthcare providers and professionals to test patients early for HRD biomarkers.

Healthy lives depend on a healthy planet and AstraZeneca is also making strides in sustainability through various initiatives, to deliver our ‘Ambition Zero Carbon’.

Across pharma, success is defined by a balance of scientific innovation, perseverance in challenging environments and a commitment to improving patient outcomes.  Staying at the forefront of research and development is crucial, while collaborative partnerships ignite progress.

This is something I believe we are doing exceptionally well at AstraZeneca. Ultimately, it’s about dedication to improving healthcare, coupled with the flexibility in a constantly evolving world.

Over the past decade, technological advancements have helped to drive a significant shift in the way we work across the industry. We are now living in the era of precision medicine and personalised care, which has been fuelled by advances in genomic sequencing and targeted therapies.

Treating the individual versus the disease has become the cornerstone of modern-day medicine. I see the industry’s shift to patient-centred treatment and technological integration as essential, not just for the success of a business or the progress of science but for the patient population.

I am excited about the potential launches we are working towards, including a venture into a new tumour area, which I am confident will have a positive impact. I am also looking forward to the twists and turns which will certainly come throughout the year and to rolling with them alongside my brilliant team.

We have achieved a huge amount as a company already and there is so much more to come.