Rania Ashraf

A pharmacist by training and a healthcare strategist by passion, Rania Ashraf brings over 20 years of national and international experience across government, pharmaceutical, and global health sectors. Her career spans impactful roles in market access, health policy, government affairs, and strategic partnerships, with a consistent focus on shaping sustainable healthcare systems and enabling patient access to innovation.

Rania holds an MBA in Healthcare Management from Loyola University Chicago, USA, and a BSc in Pharmacy from Cairo University. Her journey began at Egypt’s Ministry of Health, where she led regulatory reform, supply chain modernization, and pharmaco-economic policy development.

She represented then represented industry in international forums including the ISPOR and AFRA,WHO contributing to pharma regulation and policy.

In the pharmaceutical industry, Rania has held progressive leadership roles at Janssen Pharmaceuticals, including:

• Director, Government Affairs, Policy & Strategic Alliances, Middle East

• Global Market Access Lead, Oncology Early Products – Global Role

• Associate Director, Market Access – Emerging Markets

• Head of Market Access, North Africa

Currently serving as Executive Director of Public Affairs for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) at Novartis, Rania leads strategic initiatives to shape the policy environment, drive impactful positioning, and foster proactive engagement with governments and stakeholders. Her work is anchored in creating meaningful, sustainable solutions that serve patient needs and support innovation.

Rania’s career is defined by her commitment to policy shaping, access strategy, and healthcare system advancement—areas where she combines deep expertise with a passion for impact.