Alkermes is preparing for a leadership transition after more than three decades under Richard Pops, who is set to step down as chief executive officer on July 31, 2026.

The company’s board has named current chief operating officer Blair Jackson as CEO effective Aug. 1, 2026, with Jackson also expected to join the board at that time.

Following the transition, Pops will remain chairman and serve as an advisor to the executive team.¹

How was Pops’ tenure at Alkermes?

Pops joined the company back in 1991, four years after its founding, and oversaw its transformation from a 20-person drug delivery start-up into a commercial-stage neuroscience company generating approximately $1.5 billion in annual revenue.¹

Over the course of his tenure, Alkermes built a portfolio of commercial medicines for serious mental illness and addiction while investing heavily in central nervous system innovation.

“It has been a great honor to serve as CEO of Alkermes alongside so many dedicated colleagues over the years,” Pops said, reflecting on a tenure he described as guided by science, integrity and long-term value creation. “As I prepare to transition the CEO role to Blair later this year, I do so with immense pride in the company we’ve built and conviction in the company’s growth opportunity ahead.”

Why did Alkermes decide to make a leadership change?

Board leadership framed the succession as the result of a deliberate and structured planning process. Andy Wilson, lead independent director, credited Pops with shaping Alkermes’ strategy and culture and expressed confidence in Jackson’s ability to lead the company forward. “With his broad skillset and deep knowledge of the business, we are confident that Blair is the right leader to guide Alkermes into its next chapter of growth and impact,” Wilson said.

Jackson, who has been with Alkermes since 1999, brings more than 25 years of experience spanning scientific, operational and corporate strategy roles. As chief operating officer since 2021, he has overseen global operations, quality, IT, business development and corporate planning.¹

He played a central role in several strategic moves over the past few years, including the divestment of the oncology business, the sale of the Athlone manufacturing facility and the acquisition of Avadel.²

“I am honored to carry forward Alkermes’ legacy of working to address unmet needs of patients living with complex conditions in the neuroscience space,” Jackson said, emphasizing the company’s strong commercial base and advancing pipeline.

As Alkermes pivots deeper into sleep medicine and orexin biology, the leadership transition signals continuity in strategy, even as a new CEO prepares to steer the company into its next chapter.

Alkermes also recently completed an acquisition of Avadel Pharmaceuticals, adding an FDA-approved sleep product and bolstering its commercial capabilities in narcolepsy, moves designed to position the company for its next phase of growth.² More recently, the company has sharpened its focus on sleep medicine and orexin agonism, an emerging therapeutic category in neuroscience.²

Sources

1. Alkermes plc Announces CEO Succession Plan Alkermes PLC. February 25, 2026 https://investor.alkermes.com/news-releases/news-release-details/alkermes-plc-announces-ceo-succession-plan?_gl=1*1ir7x6h*_gcl_au*NTg0NjgyMTU2LjE3NzIwMjgxMjQ.*_ga*MTQ3NDUyOTA3MC4xNzcyMDI4MTI1*_ga_PFXKBM41R2*czE3NzIwMjgxMjQkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzIwMjgxMjYkajU4JGwwJGgw
2. Alkermes plc Completes Acquisition of Avadel Pharmaceuticals plc, Accelerating Entry Into Sleep Medicine Market Alkermes PLC. February 12, 2026 https://investor.alkermes.com/news-releases/news-release-details/alkermes-plc-completes-acquisition-avadel-pharmaceuticals-plc