Tammi Gaskins Is Named the Next CEO of Ironwood Pharmaceuticals

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals has chosen its next chief executive from inside its own walls. On October 16, 2026, the Boston biotechnology company announced that its board had appointed Chief Commercial Officer Tammi Gaskins as CEO and a member of the board, effective January 1, 2027.

On that date, Tom McCourt will retire as CEO after 17 years at the company and remain on the board. For women building careers in commercial roles, Gaskins's path to the top job is worth a close look.

The Announcement

According to Ironwood's press release, the board selected Gaskins because she is a proven leader with a deep understanding of the business, its culture and its late stage pipeline. Board Chair Julie McHugh credited her with driving the turnaround of LINZESS this year, returning the drug to blockbuster status and growth.

Ironwood is a Nasdaq listed company focused on therapies for gastrointestinal and rare diseases. LINZESS, which it co-develops and co-commercializes with AbbVie in the United States, is the company's best known product, and the release describes it as the number one prescribed brand in the U.S. for IBS with constipation and chronic idiopathic constipation, based on IQVIA data.

Who Tammi Gaskins Is

Gaskins joined Ironwood in 2020 and has been a leader in its commercial organization since then. The company says she played a critical role in establishing LINZESS as the top prescribed brand in its category.

She has also led commercial development work for apraglutide, a once weekly GLP-2 analog in Phase 3 development for adults with short bowel syndrome with intestinal failure. Before Ironwood, she spent 20 years at AstraZeneca in commercial leadership roles of increasing responsibility.

In her own statement, Gaskins called 2026 a turnaround year for the company. She pointed to work to maximize the value of LINZESS, strengthen the balance sheet and advance the confirmatory STARS-2 clinical trial of apraglutide, and said she looks forward to extending that momentum into 2027 and beyond.

A Planned Handover

The transition is notably orderly. The announcement came about two and a half months before the effective date, and McCourt will stay on the board. He said he has worked closely with Gaskins for several years and has every confidence that she will be a strong successor.

McCourt's own story mirrors hers in one important way. He joined Ironwood as its first Chief Commercial Officer, helped build the commercial organization from the ground up, and became CEO in 2021. In choosing Gaskins, the board is again turning to a leader shaped by the commercial side of the business.

What Women Leaders Can Take From It

Gaskins's appointment offers a few practical lessons for women aiming at the top job, drawn from the facts of her path rather than from anything she has said about it.

First, results that the board can name matter. The chair's statement tied her selection to a specific outcome, the LINZESS turnaround, rather than to general qualities. When you are building a case for promotion, a clear business result with your name on it carries weight.

Second, commercial roles can be a route to the corner office. Gaskins rose through commercial leadership rather than research or finance. Owning revenue gives leaders a view of customers, partners and the whole business that boards value.

Third, long tenure builds credibility. Two decades at AstraZeneca followed by six years at Ironwood gave her both big company discipline and close knowledge of a smaller firm's culture and pipeline, which the board cited directly.

Finally, succession is built over years. Internal appointments like this one often follow long periods of working alongside the sitting CEO and the board. Visibility with directors is part of the job long before the title arrives.

Looking Ahead

Gaskins takes over on January 1, 2027, with the apraglutide trial and the continued performance of LINZESS high on the agenda. How she leads that next phase will be watched closely by investors and by the many women in life sciences who see a commercial leader stepping into the CEO seat.

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Source: Ironwood Pharmaceuticals press release, October 16, 2026.