Cristian Massacesi - Bristol Myers Squibb

Cristian Massacesi, MD, executive vice president, chief medical officer and head of development, oversees the company’s early- and late-stage product development across all therapeutic areas. He has a proven track record of advancing breakthrough science from early through late-stage development and global regulatory approvals, inspiring and encouraging his teams to identify novel strategies and take smart risks.

“I am on a mission to discover new medicines – working with urgency to unlock innovative approaches to researching and treating challenging diseases so that one day, no patient will hear that all options have been exhausted,” says Cristian. “The North Star for the teams I lead is discovering better ways to translate exciting science into potential new treatments, conduct research, find the best targets against the drivers of disease and identify novel strategies to fight resistance to therapeutic treatments.”

Cristian began his career in the healthcare field as a medical oncologist, bringing the ethos of putting patients first into his more than 20 years of global biopharmaceutical experience. Prior to joining BMS, Cristian served as chief medical officer of AstraZeneca and Alexion and as oncology chief development officer at AstraZeneca, where he led a global organization of more than 3,000 employees. Under his leadership, AstraZeneca advanced over 150 clinical studies and secured multiple regulatory approvals. Prior to his tenure at AstraZeneca, Cristian held senior R&D positions at Pfizer and Novartis, where he oversaw development programs across solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.

Cristian earned his medical degree from Marche Polytechnic University and received medical oncology training at the Royal Marsden Hospital, Kaplan Comprehensive Cancer Center and the European Institute of Oncology.

Updated: August 2025