Emer Cooke
EMA
Executive Director
Ms Emer Cooke is the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Executive Director.
She has over 30 years of experience in international regulatory affairs, with more than 18 of these in leadership roles. Before taking up her current role, she was the Director responsible for all medical product related regulatory activities at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva between November 2016 and November 2020.
Ms. Cooke worked at EMA between 2002 and 2016. She joined the Agency as Head of Inspections and became Head of International Affairs in 2009. Prior to that, she was Principal Administrator in the Pharmaceuticals Unit of the European Commission between 1998 and 2002, with responsibility for inter alia, inspections, international activities including enlargement of the EU and selected legislative initiatives.
Ms Cooke worked for the European Federation of Pharmaceutical industries and Associations (EFPIA) as Manager of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs from 1992 to 1995 and part time from 1996 to 1998. She also worked part time as an independent pharmaceutical policy advisor, based in the Czech Republic, from 1996 to 1998.
Ms. Cooke held a number of roles within the Irish pharmaceutical sector between 1985 and 1990 including two years as a pharmaceutical assessor at the Irish medicines regulatory authority.
Ms. Cooke holds a degree in pharmacy and two master’s degrees in science and in business administration from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
She has over 30 years of experience in international regulatory affairs, with more than 18 of these in leadership roles. Before taking up her current role, she was the Director responsible for all medical product related regulatory activities at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva between November 2016 and November 2020.
Ms. Cooke worked at EMA between 2002 and 2016. She joined the Agency as Head of Inspections and became Head of International Affairs in 2009. Prior to that, she was Principal Administrator in the Pharmaceuticals Unit of the European Commission between 1998 and 2002, with responsibility for inter alia, inspections, international activities including enlargement of the EU and selected legislative initiatives.
Ms Cooke worked for the European Federation of Pharmaceutical industries and Associations (EFPIA) as Manager of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs from 1992 to 1995 and part time from 1996 to 1998. She also worked part time as an independent pharmaceutical policy advisor, based in the Czech Republic, from 1996 to 1998.
Ms. Cooke held a number of roles within the Irish pharmaceutical sector between 1985 and 1990 including two years as a pharmaceutical assessor at the Irish medicines regulatory authority.
Ms. Cooke holds a degree in pharmacy and two master’s degrees in science and in business administration from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.