Shire surprises by tapping new CEO

Surprise! You're the next CEO. So said Shire to CFO Angus Russell (photo), who got an unexpected promotion to the company's top slot. The board moved present CEO Matt Emmens to non-executive chair, replacing James Cavanaugh, who retires in June. The changes won't take place until Cavanaugh's exit.

So who is Angus Russell? The 51-year old has been CFO at Shire since 1999, helping to usher the company through several mergers. Before that, he worked in finance, strategy, and marketing at several pharma companies, including AstraZeneca.

- check out Shire's statement
- read the report from MarketWatch

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