Mr Harjinder Kang

Mr Harjinder Kang

Lay Member of Council

Contact details

Biography

Harjinder Kang retired after a career of almost 30 years with AstraZeneca, formerly known as ICI and Zeneca, and one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies. Prior to his retirement Harjinder served as a Global Commercial Director based at the global HQ in London with a remit to create and implement the organisation's strategy for access to medicines for the 'next billion' people through creating affordable solutions for pharmaceuticals in some of the less developed parts of the world.

Harjinder graduated as a Chemist and spent his early career in R&D helping to develop radiopharmaceuticals and new antibiotics. He moved into the commercial part of the AZ organisation and developed his career through a structured rotation through a number of roles in Marketing, Sales, Business Development, Manufacturing and General Management. Once his development was complete he was asked to lead various parts of the global business including periods in the UK as Head of Respiratory Medicines, Head of the Arabian Gulf Region based in Dubai, Sales and Marketing Director of C/E Europe, Middle East and Africa Region based out of Brussels where he was responsible for leading commercial activity for a $2bn business unit operating in 60 countries.

Harjinder joined HM Government in 2019 where he was appointed Director for Healthcare, Life Sciences and BiocEconomy at the Department for International Trade.  In 2021 he was subsequently appointed to his current role of Director and the UK’s Chief Negotiator for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) at the Department for International Trade.

Harjinder is married with three daughters with one graduating in Medicine from the University of Birmingham.