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Our Board of Directors is responsible for the overall strategy and performance of Salix Pharmaceuticals. Elected annually by our shareholders, the Board is comprised of executive and nonexecutive members.
Founders
Randy W. Hamilton
Founder
Mr. Hamilton is a founder of Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and served as Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer from the companyís inception through November 1999. He remained Executive Chairman of the Board until June 2002. Before founding Salix, Mr. Hamilton was Manager of Business Development for California Biotechnology, Inc. (now Scios, Inc.), and responsible for the commercial aspects of several of the companyís development projects, including human lung surfactant, drug delivery systems, genetic marker diagnosis, and growth factors. He was also responsible for establishing strategic relationships with the Japanese pharmaceutical industry. Before joining California Biotechnology, Mr. Hamilton was Director of Strategic Planning and Business Development for SmithKline Diagnostics, then a division of SmithKline Beckman, where he also held positions in market research and marketing information services. Mr. Hamilton received a BA in sociology from the California State University, Long Beach. In 1998, Mr. Hamilton was named ìMan of the Yearî by the Crohnís and Colitis Foundation of America, Bay Area chapter.
Lorin K. Johnson, PhD
Founder and Chief Scientific Liaison
Dr. Johnson is a founder of Salix and serves as Chief Scientific Liaison. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer from November 1999 through September 2002. Before that, he served as Vice President of Research from inception and was a member of the Companyís Board of Directors from inception to June 2000. Before founding Salix, Dr. Johnson served as Director of Scientific Operations and Chief Scientist at California Biotechnology, Inc., (now Scios, Inc.), where he headed research on antiinflammatory therapeutics. Before joining California Biotechnology, Dr. Johnson was an Assistant Professor of Pathology at Stanford University Medical Center. Dr. Johnson is the coauthor of 75 journal articles and book chapters and is the coinventor on 18 issued patents. Dr. Johnson received his PhD from the University of Southern California and was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Francisco.
Board of Directors
John F. Chappell
John F. Chappell has served as a member of the Salix Board of Directors since December 1993 and served as Chairman of the Board from September 2003 to June 2010. From 1990 until his retirement in 2002, he served as founder and Chairman of Plexus Ventures LLC, a private company which specializes in business development and strategic transactions for clients in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and drug delivery industries. Prior to founding Plexus Ventures LLC, Mr. Chappell served as Chairman, Worldwide Pharmaceuticals for SmithKline Beecham plc, now known as GlaxoSmithKline plc, or GSK, where he was responsible for the multi-billion dollar ethical pharmaceutical business with 30,000 employees worldwide. During his 28 years at SmithKline Beecham, Mr. Chappell also headed the International Consumer Products (OTC) operations and Corporate Planning & Development. He has served on the Board of Directors of SmithKline Beecham, the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (now PhRMA), and the Industrial Biotechnology Association (now BIO). Additionally, Mr. Chappell has served on the Board of Directors of a number of biotechnology companies and is currently a member of Main Line Health Board of Governors. Mr. Chappell holds a BA from Harvard University and attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Among other experience, qualifications, attributes and skills, Mr. Chappell's knowledge and experience in leading large organizations in the life sciences industry, being the founder and chairman of a company specializing in business development and strategic transactions for companies in the pharmaceutical industry and serving on boards of directors of pharmaceutical and biotech industry organizations led to the conclusion of our Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and of our full Board that he should served as a director of our Company in light of our business and structure.
Thomas W. D'Alonzo
Chairman of the Board
Thomas W. D'Alonzo has served as a member of our Board of Directors since May 2000 and has been the Chairman of the Board since June 2010. Since 2005, Mr. D'Alonzo has served on the Board of Directors of Amarillo Biosciences, Inc., and Plexigen, Inc., a private company. From March 2007 to February 2009, Mr. D'Alonzo served as the Chief Executive Officer and a director of MiMedx Group, Inc. From May 2006 to April 2007, Mr. D'Alonzo was Chief Executive Officer of DARA BioSciences, Inc., a pharmaceutical company, and he served on its Board of Directors from September 2005 to December 2008. From 2000 to 2007, Mr. D'Alonzo acted as an independent consultant. Prior to that, from 1996 to 1999, Mr. D'Alonzo served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD), Inc., a global provider of discovery and development services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Before joining PPD, from 1993 to 1996, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of GenVec, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. From 1983 to 1993, Mr. D'Alonzo held positions of increasing responsibility within Glaxo, Inc., the US division of GlaxoSmithKline plc, including President. Mr. D'Alonzo received a BS in Business Administration from the University of Delaware and his J.D. from the University of Denver College of Law.
Among other experience, qualifications, attributes and skills, Mr. D'Alonzo's knowledge and experience in legal matters, in leading large organizations and serving on boards of directors in the life sciences industry led to the conclusion of our Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and of our full Board that he should serve as a director of our Company in light of our business and structure.
Richard A. Franco, Sr., RPh
Richard A. Franco, Sr. joined the Salix Board of Directors in May 2000. Since January 2009, Mr. Franco has been Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of DARA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Prior to that, he served in several capacities at DARA, including director since 2003. From March 2008 until January 2009, Mr. Franco served as President and a director of the Richards Group Ltd., a private healthcare consulting firm. He served as the Chairman of LipoScience, Inc., from May 1997 to October 2002, as well as Chief Executive Officer and President from November 1997 to September 2001. Prior to co-founding LipoScience, he was President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of Trimeris Inc., a biopharmaceutical company. Prior to joining Trimeris, Mr. Franco held several senior positions and served on the Executive Committee of Glaxo, Inc., from 1983 to 1994, including Vice President and General Manager of Glaxo Dermatology, Vice President and General Manager of the Cerenex Division, Vice President of Commercial Development and Vice President of Marketing. Prior to joining Glaxo, Mr. Franco worked in various positions over a 16-year period with Eli Lilly and Company. Mr. Franco is a director of Metropolitan Health Networks, Inc., and has also served on the board of directors of TriPath Imaging, Inc., now a wholly owned subsidiary of Becton, Dickinson and Company, NeoMatrix, Inc., a private company, Tranzyme, Inc. prior to its IPO, and the Research Triangle Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors, or NACD. He received a B.S. in Pharmacy from St. Johnís University and did his graduate work in pharmaceutical marketing and management at Long Island University. Mr. Franco has completed executive training at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Duke University Fuqua School of Business, the School of Business at the University of Michigan, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Among other experience, qualifications, attributes and skills, Mr. Franco's pharmaceutical sales and marketing, as well as management experience in large and small pharmaceutical organizations, and serving on boards of directors led to the conclusion of our Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and of our full Board that he should serve as a director of our Company in light of our business and structure.
William P. Keane
William P. Keane joined the Salix Board of Directors in January 2004. From June 2007 to January 2010, Mr. Keane served on the board of directors of Intellect Neurosciences, Inc. From October 2002 until September 2005, Mr. Keane was the Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary for Genta Incorporated, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the identification, development and commercialization of drugs for the treatment of patients with cancer. Prior to that, Mr. Keane was the Vice President-Sourcing, Strategy and Operations Effectiveness for Bristol-Myers Squibb Company from April 2001 until October 2002. From August 2000 until April 2001, Mr. Keane was the Chief Financial Officer for Covance Biotechnology Services, now known as Diosynth RTP Inc., a drug development services company. From September 1997 until July 2000, Mr. Keane was the Vice President, Finance ñ Global Pharmaceutical Manufacturing for Warner-Lambert Company, a pharmaceutical company subsequently acquired by Pfizer Inc. . Mr. Keane received a BA in Microbiology from Rutgers College and an MBA in Finance from the Rutgers University School of Management.
Among other experience, qualifications, attributes and skills, Mr. Keane's experience in accounting and auditing matters affecting the life sciences industry led to the conclusion of our Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and of our full Board that he should serve as a director of our Company in light of our business and structure.
Carolyn J. Logan
Carolyn J. Logan has served as Salix President and Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors since July 2002. She previously served as Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, from 2000 to July 2002. Before joining Salix, Ms. Logan served as Vice President, Sales and Marketing, of the Oclassen Dermatologics division of Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., from May 1997 to June 2000, and as Vice President, Sales, from February 1997 to May 1997. Before that date, she served as Director, Sales, of Oclassen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., from January 1993 to February 1997. Prior to joining Oclassen, Ms. Logan held various sales and marketing positions of increasing responsibility with Galderma Laboratories, Ulmer Pharmacal, and Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a subsidiary of Bristol-Myers Squibb. Ms. Logan received a BS in Biology and Dental Hygiene from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Among other experience, qualifications, attributes and skills, Ms. Logan's pharmaceutical sales and marketing experience and knowledge of our business led to the conclusion of our Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and of our full Board that she should serve as a director of our Company in light of our business and structure.
Mark A. Sirgo, PharmD
Mark A. Sirgo joined the Salix Board of Directors in February 2008. Since July 2005, Dr. Sirgo has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company (Nasdaq:BDSI), and has served in various executive positions at the company and as director of the company since August 2004. Prior to this position, Dr. Sirgo was the cofounder and Chief Executive Officer of Arius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or Arius, which was acquired by BDSI in August 2004. Prior to his involvement with Arius, Dr. Sirgo spent three years as Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing at Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc. (Nasdaq:PPDI), and 16 years in a variety of positions of increasing responsibility in both clinical development and marketing at Glaxo, Glaxo Wellcome, and GSK, including Vice President of International OTC Development and Vice President of New Product Marketing. Dr. Sirgo received a BS in Pharmacy from the Ohio State University and a Doctorate from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science.
Among other experience, qualifications, attributes and skills, Dr. Sirgo's knowledge and experience in drug development, clinical trials and regulatory processes led to the conclusion of our Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and of our full Board that he should serve as a director of our Company in light of our business and structure.