Our Team

Joseph Rus

Joseph Rus has served as a Director of BELLUS Health since June 2009.

Following 25 years of experience with two major pharmaceutical companies in both Canadian and Global assignments, Joseph Rus joined Shire Pharmaceuticals in 1999. Working out of the Shire United Kingdom offices, he was charged with establishing Shire’s European foothold. This was accomplished in 2000 with the acquisition of profitable companies in Germany, Italy, France and Spain. Subsequent to the Biochem acquisition, Mr. Rus moved to Montreal as President and CEO of Shire-Biochem in 2001. In the year 2002, Mr. Rus returned to the U.K. as Head of Shire’s International Operations (all countries except USA). Since that time, Mr. Rus also serves on Shire’s Executive Committee as well as the Portfolio Review Committee. In 2006 Mr. Rus was charged with the responsibility of establishing affiliates in the increasingly important Emerging Markets, and by 2009 affiliates were open in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Russia, Australia and Japan. Additionally, the management of the Royalty Revenue Investment Portfolio and Intellectual Property Transition were managed out of Shire’s Dublin, Ireland Offices, under Mr. Rus’ leadership.

During his tenure at Roche, Mr. Rus was responsible for the Canadian Pharmaceutical business (1994-1998). Prior to this, between 1985 -1994, he assumed positions of increasing responsibility, including Country Management from the Roche Headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. In 1972, Mr. Rus began his career in Canada with Warner Lambert.

Over the years, he acquired broad experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry, rising rapidly in positions of Sales Management, Marketing, Operations, Clinical Research and Business Development.

Mr. Rus is a Canadian Citizen, received his education in Romania, and is a Graduate of the Executive Marketing Program at the University of Western Ontario (Canada), as well as the International Program at the Institute of Management and Development of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Mr. Rus is multi-lingual, speaking English, Romanian and Hungarian with a practical knowledge of French, Italian and German.