Mylan, Pfizer complete Viatris board of directors
Mylan and Pfizer have announced the remaining appointees to the inaugural 13 member board of directors for Viatris, the new company that will result from Mylan and Pfizer's Upjohn division merging, which is expected to occur in mid-2020.
In addition to the previously announced Pfizer-designated appointments of Ian Read and Jim Kilts, Pfizer has appointed current Pfizer board member W. Don Cornwell, who will resign from the Pfizer board to serve as a director of Viatris upon the close of the transaction. Additionally, Mylan has appointed eight of its own directors to serve on the Viatris board of directors, including JoEllen Lyons Dillon, Neil Dimick, Melina Higgins, Harry Korman, Rajiv Malik, Richard Mark, Mark Parrish and Pauline van der Meer Mohr. As previously announced, the board of directors of Viatris will also include Viatris executive chairman Robert Coury and Viatris CEO Michael Goettler.
“This talented board of directors is ideally positioned to serve Viatris on behalf of its shareholders. In addition, I’m thrilled that Don Cornwell will be joining Ian Read and Jim Kilts on the board of Viatris," Albert Bourla, Pfizer chairman and CEO, said. "I’ve served on the Pfizer board with Don for two years, and he is a deeply experienced chief executive and director who has a keen understanding of our industry and will be a highly effective and collaborative steward of this new company. Finally, I want to thank Don for his two decades of service on Pfizer’s board of directors.”
Mylan chairman, and incoming Viatris executive chairman, Robert Coury said: “I am pleased to welcome Mr. Cornwell to the Viatris board. Having spent time getting to know him, I am confident that his diverse experience and leadership will bring an important perspective to the Viatris board.”
Coury continued, “It is also my great honor to name and to continue to serve with the eight Mylan appointees of the Viatris board. Each Mylan appointee will bring his or her unique experience and expertise that we believe will be critical to deliver value to shareholders. Over the course of their respective tenures on the Mylan board, each director has played a critical role in guiding and overseeing Mylan’s strategy of building a truly one of a kind global platform that is now well positioned to not only continue to deliver high-quality medicine to patients around the world but to also unlock significant shareholder value. These proven and experienced directors have a deep insight and knowledge of the global Mylan organization.”
Mylan and Pfizer also announced that Sanjeev Narula, current CFO of Upjohn, has been named incoming chief financial officer of Viatris.