Directors Neil
Dimick and Ian Read Retire
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 29,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ:
VTRS), a global healthcare company, today announced that
Scott A. Smith and Elisha W. Finney have been appointed as Viatris'
newest members of its board of directors. Smith and Finney fill the
vacancies created by the retirement of Neil
Dimick and Ian Reid.
Scott Smith is a deeply
experienced global biotechnology and pharmaceutical executive who
currently serves as President and Executive Director of BioAtla,
Inc. (NASDAQ: BCAB), a global biotechnology company focused on the
development of Conditionally Active Biologic antibody therapeutics.
Previously, Smith was President and Chief Operating Officer at
Celgene Corporation, rising up the ranks from SVP and Global Head
of Immunology, and then President of Inflammation and Immunology.
Smith is known for his ability to build out, grow and manage large
complex organizations. One of his many achievements during his
10-year career at Celgene was overseeing the clinical development,
registration, launch and global commercial success of the
blockbuster drug Otezla.
In addition to his board membership at BioAtla, Smith is also
Chairman of the board of Triumvira Immunologics, Inc. and a member
of the Apexigen, Inc. and Refuge Biotechnologies, Inc. boards of
directors. He holds a BSc in Chemistry and Biology as well as an
HBSc in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Western Ontario and received his MS
in International Management from the American
Graduate School of International Management.
Elisha Finney is an experienced
former public company executive officer and current public company
director who most recently served a long and distinguished career
at Varian Medical Systems, Inc. as Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer, overseeing corporate accounting, corporate
communications and investor relations, internal audit, risk
management, tax and treasury, and corporate information systems.
During her time at Varian, she helped the company grow to be a
world-leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for
treating cancer and other medical conditions.
Finney currently serves on the boards of directors of
Mettler-Toledo International Inc. and NanoString Technologies,
Inc., each as Audit Committee Chair, and also serves on the board
of directors of ICU Medical, Inc. as Chair of the Nominating and
Governance Committee and member of the Audit Committee. She
received her B.A. in Risk Management and Insurance from the
University of Georgia and her master's
degree in Finance from Golden Gate
University.
Retiring from the Viatris board of directors are Neil Dimick and Ian
Read. Both have served on the Viatris board for over two
years since the company was created through the combination of
Mylan N.V. and Pfizer's Upjohn business in November 2020 (the "Combination").
Robert J. Coury, Executive
Chairman of Viatris said, "On behalf of the entire Viatris board of
directors, we cannot thank Neil and Ian enough for their service
and significant contributions over these past years. I have
personally and sincerely appreciated their partnership and
collaboration as we worked together to lay out a very clear and
deliberate two-phased strategy to return Viatris back to growth. I
wish each of them the very best in their future endeavors."
Coury continued, "We are also pleased to welcome Scott Smith and Elisha
Finney to the board. Scott's vast commercial and
pharmaceutical expertise include not only strong M&A and
business development skills, but also sales and marketing,
commercial operations and new product development, including
regulatory and clinical development strategies. I believe that the
Viatris board will not only benefit from Scott's deep industry
knowledge, experience and overall business mindset, but will also
be timely as we continue our strategy of moving the company up the
pharmaceutical value chain.
"Additionally, Elisha, as a former strong public company senior
executive with extensive board credentials, will add value to
Viatris' board in the areas of finance, regulatory, reimbursement
and risk management. We look forward to working with both Scott and
Elisha and the contributions that each will bring to our
board."
Neil Dimick said, "It has been my
true pleasure to have been able to serve on the Mylan board from
2005 to 2020 and now the Viatris board since the Combination.
During this time, I have witnessed firsthand the consistent,
significant growth of these companies. I want to personally thank
Robert and the entire board of directors for their partnership and
strong collaboration. I wish Viatris nothing but the best and am
happy to be able to retire knowing that I was able to contribute in
paving the way for the company's next phase of growth."
Ian Read stated, "I have
sincerely appreciated my time on the Viatris board of directors
since the Combination. I believe we have made significant progress
during this period not only in establishing an incredibly strong
foundation for the company, but in achieving consistent execution
against our strategic and financial objectives. As I conclude my
tenure, and as Viatris prepares to enter into phase 2 of its
evolution, I am honored to have had the opportunity to contribute
to its success."
About Viatris
Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS) is a global healthcare company
empowering people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of
life. We provide access to medicines, advance sustainable
operations, develop innovative solutions and leverage our
collective expertise to connect more people to more products and
services through our one-of-a-kind Global Healthcare Gateway®.
Formed in November 2020, Viatris brings together scientific,
manufacturing and distribution expertise with proven regulatory,
medical, and commercial capabilities to deliver high-quality
medicines to patients in more than 165 countries and territories.
Viatris' portfolio comprises more than 1,400 approved molecules
across a wide range of therapeutic areas, spanning both
non-communicable and infectious diseases, including globally
recognized brands, complex generic and branded medicines, and a
variety of over-the-counter consumer products. With approximately
37,000 colleagues globally, Viatris is headquartered in the U.S.,
with global centers in Pittsburgh,
Shanghai and Hyderabad, India. Learn more at viatris.com,
investor.viatris.com, and connect with us on Twitter at
@ViatrisInc, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release includes statements that constitute
"forward-looking statements." These statements are made pursuant to
the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Such forward looking statements may include
statements about Viatris' strategy of moving the company up the
value chain and the contributions that each new director will bring
to Viatris' board. Factors that could cause or contribute to such
differences include, but are not limited to: our other strategic
initiatives, including potential and completed divestitures, and
restructuring initiatives may not achieve their intended benefits
within the expected timeframe or at all; the implementation of our
global restructuring initiatives and integration activities being
more difficult, time consuming or costly than expected, or being
unsuccessful; the potential impact of public health outbreaks,
epidemics and pandemics, including the ongoing challenges and
uncertainties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic; actions and decisions
of healthcare and pharmaceutical regulators; changes in healthcare
and pharmaceutical laws and regulations in the U.S. and abroad; any
regulatory, legal or other impediments to Viatris' ability to bring
new products to market, including but not limited to "at-risk"
launches; Viatris' or its partners' ability to develop,
manufacture, and commercialize products; the scope, timing and
outcome of any ongoing legal proceedings, and the impact of any
such proceedings; any significant breach of data security or data
privacy or disruptions to our information technology systems; risks
associated with international operations; the ability to protect
intellectual property and preserve intellectual property rights;
changes in third-party relationships; the effect of any changes in
Viatris' or its partners' customer and supplier relationships and
customer purchasing patterns; the impacts of competition; changes
in the economic and financial conditions of Viatris or its
partners; uncertainties and matters beyond the control of
management, including general economic conditions; and the other
risks described in Viatris' filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC). Viatris routinely uses its website as a
means of disclosing material information to the public in a broad,
non-exclusionary manner for purposes of the SEC's Regulation Fair
Disclosure (Reg FD). Viatris undertakes no obligation to update
these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this
release other than as required by law.
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SOURCE Viatris Inc.