In an interview with Accountacy Age AZs' CFO Jon Symonds reveals how he feels about being beaten to the top job by Dave Brennan.
‘Six months on, the wheres and what fors don’t matter, the fact is David is the CEO. It’s our responsibility to back him. AstraZeneca has got to be bigger than any individual and we’ve got a great team here.’
When asked whether he would consider leaving because he didn’t manage to secure the top spot, Symonds is more vague but says that his continuing mission is to back the company that he has served so well, although his disliking of negative media attention within the pharmaceutical sector is clear.
‘No one talks about their future career choices. I want AstraZeneca to succeed, I’ve put my heart and soul into this company for eight years and I’m as passionate about it today as I’ve ever been.
‘I want to play as big a part as I can. We’re the fifth largest company in the UK in a fantastic industry that, despite some of the press, is geared towards improving the quality of human health. That is about as good a reason to get up in the morning and come to work as you’ll find.’
He says he will greatly miss outgoing CEO Tom McKillop, an executive who has often reaped praise from his peers. ‘Working with Tom has been fantastic, he’s one of the best CEO’s in Europe and we’ve been through a lot together.’
Hmmmmm!
Accountancy Age
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