Upjohn President Quits In Surprise Move

The executive who led the merger of Upjohn Co. and Sweden’s Pharmacia AB into one of the world’s largest drug companies unexpectedly quit Monday.

John Zabriskie resigned as president and chief executive officer during a meeting of Pharmacia & Upjohn Inc.’s board of directors in Stockholm. Pharmacia spokesman Joseph Heywood said the resignation was effective immediately, and that all Zabriskie told the board was that he wanted to return to the United States to pursue other interests.

Pharmacia stock fell more than 7 percent on the New York Stock Exchange Monday.

Zabriskie, 57, had been the force behind the $13 billion merger of Kalamazoo-based Upjohn and Pharmacia in 1995. Since then, he had run the company from London.

Chairman Jan Ekberg will take over as CEO until a replacement is found. Richard Brown, a director and the chief executive of H&R Block Inc., will preside as chairman.