DUBLIN, Nov. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: JAZZ) today announced that Jennifer Cook and Mark D. Smith, M.D. have been appointed to the Company's Board of Directors, effective December 1, 2020.
"We are excited to welcome two industry leaders to the Board whose complementary skills and experiences will help us advance our strategy to transform the lives of patients. Jennifer brings over 30 years of biopharmaceutical experience with significant c-suite, product development and commercialization expertise globally, and Mark, a practicing physician, is a nationally-recognized expert in health policy, reimbursement and delivery systems," said Bruce Cozadd, chairman and CEO of Jazz Pharmaceuticals. "Jazz is well-positioned for transformative growth, with strong commercial franchises, a robust and productive pipeline and a commitment to targeted investments in our global platform. As we seek to leverage our robust R&D assets to develop new treatments and utilize our proven commercialization engine to bring these innovations to market, we will benefit from Jennifer's and Mark's insights and leadership."
Ms. Cook said, "I am excited to join the Board and look forward to putting my experience to work as the Company brings new and exciting therapies to market. I am impressed by how the team has navigated the current environment, having launched three new products this year alone, and am confident in Jazz's future."
Dr. Smith added, "This has been a transformative year for Jazz, and I am honored to be joining the Company's Board. Jazz has an important purpose and I am eager to support its mission to deliver life-changing medicines to patients in areas of high unmet need."
Ms. Cook joins Jazz as a Class II director and will be up for election at the Company's 2022 annual meeting. Dr. Smith joins Jazz as a Class I director and will be up for election at the Company's 2021 annual meeting.
The Company also announced that after many years of outstanding service and dedication, Elmar Schnee will not seek reelection when his term expires at the Company's 2021 annual meeting of shareholders, and Paul Berns will step down on or before the Company's 2021 annual meeting of shareholders.
"I want to express our deepest appreciation for Elmar's and Paul's numerous contributions to Jazz during their many years of service on the Board of Directors," said Mr. Cozadd. "Their industry and product development expertise have been invaluable in positioning Jazz as a leader in sleep medicine with a growing hematology/oncology portfolio. It is an honor to work closely with Elmar and Paul and I look forward to their continued counsel and engagement over the next several months."
About Jennifer Cook
Ms. Cook was the Chief Executive Officer at GRAIL, Inc., a privately-held early cancer detection diagnostic company from January 2018 to June 2019. Prior to that, Ms. Cook was at Roche Pharmaceuticals/Genentech for 25 years where she held a number of senior management positions covering the full lifecycle of product development and commercialization. From 2010 to 2013, she oversaw Genentech's U.S. Immunology and Ophthalmology Business Unit, and from 2013 to 2016, she led Roche's European commercial business. She also served as Roche's Global Head of Clinical Operations throughout 2017. In 2016, Ms. Cook was recognized as Woman of the Year by the Healthcare Businesswoman's Association.
Ms. Cook currently serves as non-executive director on the boards of two publicly-held biotechnology companies, Denali Therapeutics Inc., and BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. She also serves on the board of Ambys Medicines, Inc., a privately-held biotechnology company. Ms. Cook received a B.A. in human biology and a M.S. in biology from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at University of California, Berkeley.
About Mark Smith, M.D.
Mark Smith, M.D., is a professor of clinical medicine at the University of California at San Francisco, where he has served since 1994. From 1996 to 2013, Dr. Smith was the founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the California HealthCare Foundation, an independent nonprofit philanthropy organization. Prior to that, from 1991 to 1996, he served as Executive Vice President at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
Dr. Smith currently serves as non-executive director on the boards of two publicly-held healthcare companies, Phreesia Inc. and Teladoc Health, Inc. He also serves on the board of The Commonwealth Fund, a private health policy foundation, and the Institute for Health Care Improvement, an independent nonprofit organization. Dr. Smith holds a B.A. from Harvard College, an M.D. from the University of North Carolina, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
About Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc
Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: JAZZ) is a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing life-changing medicines that transform the lives of patients with serious diseases — often with limited or no options. We have a diverse portfolio of marketed medicines and novel product candidates, from early- to late-stage development, in key therapeutic areas. Our focus is in neuroscience, including sleep and movement disorders, and in oncology, including hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. We actively explore new options for patients including novel compounds, small molecule advancements, biologics and innovative delivery technologies. Jazz is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland and has employees around the globe, serving patients in more than 90 countries. For more information, please visit www.jazzpharmaceuticals.com and follow @JazzPharma on Twitter.
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