Tom McCourt joined Ironwood in 2009 as senior vice president of marketing and sales and chief commercial officer, advancing to hold the roles of president and interim chief executive officer before becoming chief executive officer and member of the board of directors in 2021. He has played an instrumental role in the success of the company’s blockbuster product, LINZESS™, and in advancing the company’s scientific pipeline with potential treatments that address GI areas of high unmet need.
Mr. McCourt joined Ironwood after having led the U.S. brand team for denosumab at Amgen Inc. Before that, Mr. McCourt worked for Novartis AG for seven years, where he directed the launch and growth of ZELNORM™ for the treatment of patients with IBS-C (irritable bowel syndrome with constipation) and CIC (chronic idiopathic constipation) and held several senior commercial roles, including vice president of strategic marketing and operations. He was also part of the founding team at Astra Merck Inc., leading the development of the medical affairs and science liaison group and then serving as brand manager for PRILOSEC® and NEXIUM®.
Mr. McCourt serves on the board of directors and as a member of the compensation committee of Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLRX) and on the board of trustees for the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). Mr. McCourt recently served on the board of directors of Acceleron Pharma Inc., serving as Chairman of the Nomination and Governance committee and as a member of the Audit and Compensation committees. He received the 2023 UW–Madison School of Pharmacy Citation of Merit, the 2023 PM360 Uber ELITE Award, the 2024 ASGE Industry Service Award, and the 2022 ASGE President’s Award. Mr. McCourt holds a degree in pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin.
