CEO Today Top 50 – Pascal Soriot
CEO Top 50
Name: Pascal Soriot
Net worth: Approx. $65 million Executive pay: $21 million
Company: Astrazeneca
Bio: Pascal Soriot, born on May 23, 1959 in France, is a French-born Australian businessman who currently serves as the CEO of AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company. His father passed away when he was 20 years old. Soriot studied veterinary medicine at the École nationale vétérinaire d’Alfort in Paris and later pursued an MBA at HEC Paris.
He began his career in the pharmaceutical industry in 1986 at Roussel Uclaf in Australia, eventually moving up the ranks to hold various executive positions at companies like Aventis and Roche. In 2012, he was appointed as the CEO of AstraZeneca, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. Despite his success, Soriot claimed to be the lowest-paid CEO in the industry in 2018, with a salary of £9.4 million.
He is married, has two children, and comes from a family of doctors. In 2023, Soriot became the highest paid CEO among major European pharmaceutical companies, earning $21.3 million, marking a 12% increase from the previous year.
Quote: In an exclusive interview with the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), AstraZeneca Chief Executive Officer, Pascal Soriot, called climate change “the biggest threat to humanity”, noting “I don’t think everybody realises the sense of urgency that is required to address it.” – Pascal Soriot
