Raj Kannan

Raj Kannan has over 30 years of experience leading and developing global business franchises and building companies. He has effectively led and grown organizations and supported multiple successful launches across therapeutic areas in the U.S. and globally.

Raj Kannan previously was the CEO of Aerie Pharmaceuticals. He led the successful merger of Aerie Pharmaceuticals to Alcon, Inc. where the all cash transaction was consummated in mid November 2022. He also served as an independent director of Amryt Pharmaceuticals till it was acquired by Chiesi in April of 2023.

Prior to joining Aerie, Mr. Kannan was Chief Executive Officer and President of Chiasma, Inc., where he led the organization through the approval and the launch of the first oral therapy in over a decade for patients with acromegaly and subsequently through the acquisition by Amryt Pharma Plc. Before that, Mr. Kannan was Chief Commercial Officer at Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, and prior to Kiniksa, he served as the Global Head of the Neurology and Immunology business franchise at Merck KGaA, where he led and transformed the largest franchise into a growth franchise with $2 billion in annual revenues through significant strategic shifts in investment to support new product introductions and through recalibration of pipeline investments. Before that, Mr. Kannan spent 10 years at Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH in the U.S., Canada, and in Germany, including as Global Marketing Head of the Cardiovascular Franchise, where he was responsible for more than $3.5 billion in annual revenues.