By Bruce Japsen
Tribune staff reporter
Published August 2, 2004, 2:18 PM CDT
Former Abbott Laboratories executive Joy Amundson will be reunited with Abbott alumnus Robert Parkinson in the executive suite at Baxter International Inc., the Chicago area's other medical product giant.
Parkinson, who became Baxter's chairman and chief executive in April, today confirmed weeks of speculation that he would hire Amundson. She begins Aug. 9 as corporate vice president and president of the Deerfield-based company's bioscience business.
Amundson, 49, worked with Parkinson for nearly 20 years at North Chicago-based Abbott, most recently as head of its Ohio-based Ross Products nutritional business until stepping down in 2001. Parkinson was Abbott's president before leaving four years ago.
"Joy is an excellent fit for our bioscience operation and is well suited to seize the opportunities that exist in this exciting and complex business," Parkinson said. "She is an outstanding leader with a diverse range of experiences and joins the company with a proven track record of building businesses, while consistently improving results."
Consistency has been lacking in Baxter's bioscience business, which includes lucrative blood therapy treatments, surgery products and vaccines.
Price competition hurt Baxter's lucrative blood therapies business, which contributed to financial forecasting problems. The company lowered its profit forecasts four times in the final 18 months of Harry Kraemer's tenure as chief executive.
At Abbott, Amundson ran the $2 billion-a-year Ross business and previously worked in other company divisions. When she left Ross, Abbott chief executive Miles White said Amundson "restored momentum" to that business.
Most recently, Amundson was a principal of Amundson Partners Inc., a healthcare consulting firm, and had been active on other health-care company boards.
In a related announcement, Baxter promoted Jim Utts to president of the company's European operations while Bruce McGillivray was named president of Baxter's global renal business. Both were also elected corporate officers of the company.
Utts previously was general manager of global oncology within the company's medication delivery business. McGillivray was president of Baxter's European renal business.
The Fisher College of Business recently hosted its third annual Diversity Business Awards and Alumni Reception at the Blackwell. Awards were presented to an individual and a corporation for their efforts in support of diversity at Fisher College. Graduate Ami Scott, an attorney with Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw in Chicago, and Ross Products, a world leader in nutrition and a division of Abbott Laboratories, received the 2004 awards.
7/26/04