Board of Directors Elects Melina Higgins New
Chair
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 15,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS), a
global healthcare company, announced that at its 2023 Annual
Meeting of Shareholders held today, shareholders voted to re-elect
all nominated Directors and approved/ratified all voting matters.
The official voting results for each item voted on by shareholders
will be disclosed in a current report on Form 8-K to be filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Company also announced that its Board of Directors has
elected Melina Higgins to serve as
Chair of the Board, effective immediately after the 2023 Annual
Meeting of Shareholders. Higgins, an independent director, succeeds
Robert J. Coury, who did not stand
for re-election and, following the Company's annual meeting,
transitioned to a new role as Chairman Emeritus and Senior
Strategic Advisor.
Viatris Vice Chair Mark Parrish
said: "On behalf of the entire Viatris Board of Directors, I want
to sincerely thank Robert J. Coury
for his many years of leadership and strategic vision and welcome
Melina Higgins as our unanimously
elected next Chair. Melina is an incredibly well-respected leader
who has played a key role in helping the Board effectively and
successfully lead the Company through its ongoing strategic
transition. Her in-depth board and public company experience make
her uniquely positioned to chair the Viatris Board during what we
expect to be Viatris' next period of growth."
"During my time on the Board and as CEO of Viatris, I have found
Melina's vision and incredible depth of experience to be
invaluable, and I look forward to working with her in her new role,
along with our other Directors, as we enter an exciting new period
of opportunity for our Company," said Scott
A. Smith, Chief Executive Officer and Director, Viatris.
Higgins said: "I am honored to have the opportunity to
serve as Viatris' next Chair. Robert has left the Board and the
Company with an incredible legacy and track record of success to
uphold. I look forward to continuing the long-term strategy that
the Board has set as we work closely with Scott and the management
team on executing Phase 2 of our strategic plan. We intend to
continue our momentum and take the Company on what we expect will
be a path of growth and meaningful total shareholder returns."
Higgins will also chair the Executive Committee of the Board and
will continue to serve as Chair of the Finance Committee.
About Melina
Higgins
Melina Higgins
joined the Viatris Board of Directors after seven years of service
on the Mylan board, where she most recently chaired the Finance
Committee and was a member of the Audit, Compensation, and
Executive Committees. Higgins is the non-executive chair of the
board of directors of Genworth Financial Inc., a Fortune 500
insurance company, and serves on its Audit and Management
Development & Compensation Committees. She is also the
non-executive chair of Antares Midco Inc., a leading credit asset
manager. Higgins was previously a partner and managing director at
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., serving as a member of the
Investment Committee of the Principal Investment Area, which
oversaw and approved global private equity and private debt
investments, and was one of the largest alternative asset managers
in the world. Higgins also served as head of the Americas for
private debt and co-chair of the Investment Advisory Committee for
GS Mezzanine Partners funds. She is a member of the Women's
Leadership Board of Harvard
University's John F. Kennedy
School of Government.
About Viatris
Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS) is a global healthcare company uniquely
positioned to bridge the traditional divide between generics and
brands, combining the best of both to more holistically address
healthcare needs globally. With a mission to empower people
worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life, we provide
access at scale. In 2022 alone, we supplied high-quality medicines
to approximately 1 billion patients around the world. With our
exceptionally extensive and diverse portfolio of medicines, a
one-of-a-kind global supply chain designed to reach more people
when and where they need them, and the scientific expertise to
address some of the world's most enduring health challenges, access
takes on deep meaning at Viatris. We have the ability to touch all
of life's moments, from birth to end of life, acute conditions to
chronic diseases. We are headquartered in the U.S., with
global centers in Pittsburgh,
Shanghai and Hyderabad, India. Learn more
at viatris.com and investor.viatris.com,
and connect with us on Twitter
at @ViatrisInc, LinkedIn, Instagram 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 that Ms. Higgins'
in-depth board and public company experience make her uniquely
positioned to chair the Viatris Board during what we expect to be
Viatris' next period of growth; that Mr. Smith looks forward to
working with Ms. Higgins in her new role, along with our other
Directors, as we enter an exciting new period of opportunity for
our Company; that Ms. Higgins looks forward to continuing the
long-term strategy that the Board has set as we work closely with
Scott and the management team on executing Phase 2 of our strategic
plan; and we intend to continue our momentum and take the Company
on what we expect will be a path of growth and meaningful total
shareholder returns. Because forward-looking statements inherently
involve risks and uncertainties, actual future results may differ
materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such
differences include, but are not limited to: 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 possibility that
Viatris may be unable to realize the intended benefits of, or
achieve the intended goals or outlooks with respect to, its
strategic initiatives; the possibility that Viatris may be unable
to achieve expected benefits, synergies and operating efficiencies
in connection with acquisitions, divestitures, or its global
restructuring program, within the expected timeframe or at all;
impairment charges or other losses related to the divestiture or
sale of businesses or assets; Viatris' failure to achieve expected
or targeted future financial and operating performance and results;
the potential impact of public health outbreaks, epidemics and
pandemics, including the ongoing challenges and uncertainties posed
by COVID-19; 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, inflation and exchange
rates; failure to execute stock repurchases consistent with current
expectations; stock price volatility; 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.