Shire finds its home in Massachusetts

Shire, a mid-sized pharmaceutical company based in Ireland, has a new CEO, Flemming Ornskov. One of his first actions after taking over was to move to the Boston area, where Shire's rare disease division is located. He told the Boston Globe:

“When I got the job, I said to the board that as Shire develops and grows I’d like to sit in Lexington. Because the Boston area is a fantastic environment for the science that is incredibly important to the future of this industry. In addition to being the CEO, I find I’m the chief innovation driver, and this is where I want to be driving it from.”

The people of Massachusetts understand the importance of nurturing an environment that is open and innovative. Investment in education, openness to immigrants, and liberal social policies pay off.