Jeff Kindler

Jeffrey Kindler is the CEO of the Pfizer corporation.

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Background

Jeffrey Kindler graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University in 1977 and then magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1980. He subsequently clerked for Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr. and worked at the law firm Williams & Connolly in Washington, D.C. He then jumped into the corporate sector with a stint as Vice President and Senior Counselor for General Electric Co. and then as Executive Vice President of Corporate Relations and General Counsel for McDonald's. He rose up to become President of Partner Brands (including Boston Market and Chipotle Mexican Grill) for McDonald's until 2002, when he arrived at Pfizer to serve as General Counsel. Mr. Kindler's role at Pfizer quickly took on critical importance as the company faced a vast array of generic assaults on its patents, most notably on the $12 billion drug Lipitor, and the rising threat of counterfeit drugs.

Pfizer Leadership

On February 24, 2005, along with Karen Katen and David Shedlarz, Mr. Kindler was named Vice Chairman of Pfizer's Board, setting off a three-way competition to succeed then-CEO Hank McKinnell. Many expected Ms. Katen, a longtime veteran of the commercial team and head of Pfizer's Human Health Group, to succeed Mr. McKinnell over the top lawyer Mr. Kindler and the top financier Mr. Shedlarz.

However, on July 28, 2006, Pfizer's board of directors selected Mr. Kindler to succeed Mr. McKinnell as CEO immediately. In choosing Mr. Kindler, a relatively new Pfizer employee, the board not only accelerated Mr. McKinnell's retirement plans but also sent a strong endorsement for change at the 150-year old company by turning down Ms. Katen and Mr. Shedlarz, both of whom have been with Pfizer for more than 30 years. Furthermore, the selection of a lawyer to the top post at the world's largest and most venerable pharmaceutical company highlights the growing dominance of legal issues in the pharmaceutical industry.

On December 18, 2006, Mr. Kindler was elected by Pfizer's board of directors to serve as Chairman.