Novartis Executive Kevin T. Rigby Named Board Chair
New Brunswick, NJ, July 16, 2012 ― The HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ) has announced the new officers of its Board of Trustees as well as the leadership of its Steering Committee.
Kevin T. Rigby, vice president & head of public affairs & communications, U.S. General Medicines, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, has been named Chair of the HINJ Board of Trustees.
Mr. Rigby, who previously served as a vice chair of the HINJ Board, is responsible for Novartis’ internal and external communications; philanthropic contributions; programs for the uninsured and under-insured; interactions with state elected officials, patient groups, and non-profit charitable organizations; and public policy initiatives. He also is president of Novartis Patient Assistance Foundation, Inc.
Prior to joining Novartis in 2002, Mr. Rigby was vice president, sales and marketing services at Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., where he served on the Executive Committee. Previously, he had worked as an attorney in private practice and held positions in the public sector. He served as state director and chief of staff to U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, and was elected as both councilman and mayor for the town of River Edge, NJ.
In addition to his service on the HINJ Board, Mr. Rigby serves as a Board Member of CHOOSE New Jersey, as Chair of the New Jersey Workplace Blood Donor Coalition, as Vice Chairman of the Alliance for Aging Research and Past Chair on the Board for the National Pharmaceutical Council. He also has spoken at numerous public forums, including programs of the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in Washington, DC, and Oxford University in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Rigby graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and holds a Juris Doctor degree from Pace University School of Law, White Plains, NY.
Mr. Rigby succeeds Timothy M. Ring, chairman and chief executive officer of C. R. Bard, Inc. Mr. Ring will continue to serve on the Board.
The other officers of the HINJ Board of Trustees are:
- Vice Chair — Clifford E. Holland, corporate vice president, government affairs & policy, Johnson & Johnson.
- Vice Chair — James C. Shehan, corporate vice president and general counsel, Novo Nordisk Inc.
- Treasurer — Craig Bleifer, vice president, general counsel & secretary, Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.
Serving as board secretary is Lisa Goldman, head, U.S. Ethics & Compliance of Novartis Oncology, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
In addition, HINJ announced that Brian Kelly, regional director, state & external affairs, Northeast, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, has been named chair of HINJ’s Steering Committee. Mr. Kelly succeeds Charles R. Grezlak, Ph.D., vice president, state government affairs & policy, Merck & Co., Inc.
Wendy Lazarus, director, government relations and public affairs, Pfizer Inc., will continue to serve as vice chair of HINJ’s Steering Committee.
Founded in 1997, the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ) serves as the voice for the state’s life sciences industry. HINJ seeks to expand patient access to the most innovative biopharmaceuticals and medical devices and promote awareness of the industry’s impact on New Jersey’s quality of life and economic well-being. In 2010, HINJ member companies’ economic impact in the state exceeded $24 billion, according to HINJ’s 2011 Economic Impact Report. For more information, visit www.hinj.org.