Percival Barretto-Ko joined the Americares board in 2020. Mr. Barretto-Ko brings to the board extensive experience in the global pharmaceutical industry, including several senior leadership positions in general management, corporate strategy and business development.
Mr. Barretto-Ko was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Plexium, a leading next-generation targeted protein degradation company, in 2021 following a sixteen-year tenure with Astellas Pharma Inc., where he served as its Chief Business Officer and spearheaded the execution of the company’s corporate strategic plan and its efforts to enhance internal and external innovation. Mr. Barretto-Ko’s earlier roles at Astellas included President of Astellas Pharma US, Senior Vice President, Head of International and Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy, Business Development & Government Affairs. Before joining Astellas, Mr. Barretto-Ko held senior positions with the Roche Group in the United States and the United Kingdom across various therapeutic areas including oncology, hematology, virology, immunology and infectious diseases.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences with honors from Cornell University, an MBA from Yale University and a master’s degree from MIT Sloan School of Management, where he also served as a Sloan Fellow for Innovation and Global Leadership.