Draft:Maky Zanganeh

Maky Zanganeh
Born	1970 (age 55) Tehran, Iran
Education	Louis Pasteur University (DDS) Schiller International University (MBA)
Occupations	Biotech executive Author
Known for	Co–CEO of Summit Therapeutics Commercialization of IMBRUVICA
Children	1
Website	mzanganeh.com

Dr. Maky Zanganeh (born 1970) is an Iranian-born American biotechnology executive, entrepreneur, author, and cancer survivor. She is the co–Chief Executive Officer and President of Summit Therapeutics, and is widely recognized for her contributions to oncology drug development, surgical robotics, and global healthcare innovation. In 2025, Forbes ranked her among the self-made female billionaires in the United States.

Zanganeh previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Pharmacyclics, where she played a central leadership role in the development and commercialization of IMBRUVICA, a targeted therapy for B-cell malignancies. Her work contributed to the company’s US$21 billion acquisition by AbbVie in 2015.

She is the author of The Magic of Normal: Hope, Love, and Beyond (Forbes Books, 2025), a bestselling memoir recounting her journey through war, displacement, entrepreneurship, motherhood, and surviving breast cancer.

Early life and education

Maky Zanganeh was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1970. She grew up during the years following the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the Iran–Iraq War and attended Jeanne d’Arc School, a French-language academic institution in Tehran.

In 1984, her family left Iran and resettled in Oldenburg, Germany, where she completed her secondary education. Zanganeh later moved to Strasbourg, France, to join her two sisters—both medical students at Louis Pasteur University—and earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from the same university in 1995.

While working toward a career that unified science, innovation, and global business, she completed an Executive MBA from Schiller International University.

Career

Surgical robotics (1997–2003)

Zanganeh joined Computer Motion, a pioneering U.S. surgical robotics company, in 1997. She led global expansion initiatives and ultimately became President of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) as well as Global Vice President of Training & Education. In 2001, she played a central coordination role for Operation Lindbergh, the world’s first transatlantic robotic surgery, performed between a surgical team led by Professor Jacques Marescaux in New York and a patient in Strasbourg.

Pharmacyclics (2008–2015)

Zanganeh joined the cancer-focused biotechnology company Pharmacyclics in 2008 and was appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2010. She played a central role in the development strategy, clinical execution, and global commercialization of IMBRUVICA, a first-in-class targeted therapy for B-cell malignancies.

IMBRUVICA received accelerated approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and transformed outcomes for patients with certain leukemias and lymphomas.

In 2015, AbbVie acquired Pharmacyclics for US$21 billion, in one of the largest biopharma acquisitions of the decade. Zanganeh’s leadership was widely credited as instrumental to the company’s turnaround and commercial success.

Summit Therapeutics (2020–present)

Zanganeh joined Summit Therapeutics in 2020 and soon became Co-CEO and President, in addition to serving as a board member.

In 2023, the company acquired U.S., Japan, and European rights to ivonescimab, an investigational bispecific antibody for non–small cell lung cancer, in a deal valued at up to US$5 billion.

She is recognized for her focus on developing patient- and physician-friendly oncology therapies, emphasizing accessibility, tolerability, and innovation.

Public recognition and net worth

In June 2025, Forbes estimated Zanganeh’s stake in Summit Therapeutics at over US$1.4 billion, ranking her the 23rd richest woman in the United States. She is among the 38 self-made female billionaires in the U.S. Her appearance on the June 2025 cover of Forbes highlighted her journey from a childhood shaped by conflict to becoming a leading biotechnology executive.

Authorship

The Magic of Normal

Zanganeh is the author of The Magic of Normal: Hope, Love, and Beyond (Forbes Books, 2025). The memoir chronicles:

• her childhood during war and displacement
• her global career across Europe and the United States
• her role in developing life-saving cancer therapies
• her experience caring for her father during his cancer treatment
• her personal battle with stage II breast cancer in 2019
• her reflections during the COVID-19 pandemic

The book blends narrative and leadership philosophy, emphasizing resilience, science, compassion, and the ability to “collapse time” to deliver treatments to patients in need. The memoir won a Gold Medal at the Global Book Awards (2025).

Leadership philosophy

Zanganeh is known for a leadership style grounded in emotional intelligence, decisiveness, and patient-centered strategy. One of her guiding principles is: “Take responsibility, and the ability will follow.”

Her approach emphasizes:

• resilience
• rapid yet thoughtful decision-making
• transparency
• purpose-driven culture
• prioritizing patient outcomes

Media and public appearances

• Forbes cover (June 2025)
• Forbes Talks with Kerry Dolan (2025)
• CNBC’s Fast Money (2024)
• 10X Growth Conference (Las Vegas, 2025)
• WE Convention (Dubai, 2025)
• United Nations – 7th International Day of Women & Girls in Science Assembly (2022)
• Appearance on France 3’s L’avant JT – Grand Est (2021)
• Featured in Business Chief Leadership & Strategy (2022) in “21 Women Who Made CEO in 2022”

Awards and honors

• Gold Medalist, Global Book Awards (2025)
• Top Women in Biotech, Fierce Biotech (2013)
• Finalist, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2013)
• Top 10 Influential COOs, Industry Era (2021)

Personal life

Zanganeh became a mother in 2006 and has raised her son, Shaun, while managing a global career. In 2019, while accompanying her father during his cancer treatment in France, she was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. She underwent surgery in France, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the United States.

Her patient experience has shaped her perspective as a biotechnology executive and strengthened her commitment to delivering humane cancer care.

Legacy and impact

Zanganeh’s career spans surgical robotics, breakthrough oncology therapies, and global leadership in biotechnology. Her professional journey—from war-torn Iran to leading a multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical organization—has been cited as an example of resilience, reinvention, and purpose-driven leadership.

She is widely recognized for bridging cutting-edge science with real-world patient impact, accelerating access to life-saving treatments, and advancing representation of women in life sciences leadership.

Sources

"داستان الهام‌بخش مکی زنگنه؛ ثروتمندترین زن خودساخته ایرانی در آمریکا". Zoomit.ir (in Persian). June 2025. Dolan, Kerry (June 3, 2025). "The Unlikely Path From Iranian Revolution To Billionaire Biotech CEO". Forbes. "Meet The Iranian Immigrant Who Became A Biotech Billionaire". Forbes. "Leadership – Dr. Maky Zanganeh". Summit Therapeutics. "Top 10 Influential COOs of 2021 – Dr. Maky Zanganeh". Industry Era. "Akeso, Summit's PD-1 bispecific crushes Merck's Keytruda in lung cancer". Fierce Pharma. "How Iranian Immigrant Maky Zanganeh Became A Billionaire In The US". NDTV. "America's Richest Self-Made Women 2025". Forbes. "Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalists 2013". EY.com. "Portrait: Maky Zanganeh, de Téhéran à la Silicon Valley". Les Echos (in French). "Leading through disruption: Maky Zanganeh". Smart Business. "Dr. Maky Zanganeh Launches Personal Memoir, the Magic of Normal". GlobeNewswire. "Forbes Talks: Maky Zanganeh on Resilience and Innovation". Forbes Talks. "CEO appointments: 21 women who made CEO in July 2022". Business Chief Leadership & Strategy. July 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2025. "Leadership – Dr. Maky Zanganeh". MZanganeh.com. Retrieved 24 November 2025. "Iranian Immigrant Maky Zanganeh Joins Billionaire Ranks As Her Biotech Company's Stocks Soar". NDTV. 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2025. "Pulse Biosciences Announces Healthcare Executives and Industry Leaders Join Executive Team and Board". Pulse Biosciences. 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2025.