James Robinson, former CEO of Urovant Sciences, Inc. (since absorbed by Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals)
James Robinson joined the Urovant Sciences Board of Directors in 2019 and was then named CEO in March 2020, just as the global pandemic was emerging. Not only did Jim take the helm of the company during its immediate need to hire and onboard a national sales team and engage virtually at a critical point in the company’s transformation, he successfully led the team through approval, launch, and growth of its first product, GEMTESA (vibegron).
Jim was crucial to building an aspirational culture at Urovant from the beginning, saying, “At Urovant, our values are not just words on paper—they drive our actions. We work together with empathy and trustworthiness, keeping open to new ideas and valuing different voices, and collaborating throughout.” Keeping employees feeling physically and mentally well during the COVID-19 pandemic, while managing a workforce that went remote for the first time in modern history, was an unprecedented challenge. Jim knew he had to gather his senior leadership team to build a corporate culture that would support employees through the immediate challenges and ensure growth well into the future. When Urovant launched its first product in April 2021, it significantly outpaced its business targets while the company tripled its staff and expanded geographically, in large part because of the comprehensive and aggressive human resources and cultural efforts brought forth under Jim’s leadership.
Jim’s leadership style is built on a passionate focus on people, product, and process and made his main mission to curate a workplace environment that fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion; a commitment to integrity; and a focus on innovation in urology research. As part of his commitment to supporting everyone at Urovant, in 2022 Jim approved the hiring of an individual whose job is focused 100% on employee engagement, as well as an Executive Director to lead learning and development.
Of course, the company also built a track record of success, with first-year sales exceeding goals by 35%, tripling second-year sales, and more than doubling its market share. In that time, it was also named as a Best Place to Work from the Orange County Business Journal two years in a row. Urovant also gained national recognition by earning “Great Place to Work” certification two years running and placing 17th on Fortune’s 2022 Best Workplaces in BioPharma.
Jim’s emphasis on meeting the needs of these patients led to the aggressive pursuit of the first new branded, oral treatment for overactive bladder (OAB) in more than a decade—and an unrelentingly focused effort on the part of the entire company to be successful. Urovant’s quick success under Jim’s leadership led its parent company, Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals, to absorb the company in 2023.
