DUPONT DRUG EXECS PREDOMINATE ON DUPONT MERCK MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

DUPONT DRUG EXECS PREDOMINATE ON DUPONT MERCK MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE: 10 execs from DuPont's drug business are members of the 13-member management committee. Since Jan. 1, the new management committee has been running the 50-50 joint venture, DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical. The joint venture's VP Technical Operations Thomas Fisher was recruited from MS&D's facility in West Point, N.Y., where he had similar responsibilities. The other ex-Merck member of the management committee is Anthony Graham, who is VP with responsibility for Europe. One senior exec joined from outside the two companies: ex-Genentech exec David Martin who is Exec-VP R&D for the new firm. President Joseph Mollica heads the large group of DuPont execs staying with the new firm. Pharmaceutical operations will be headed by Exec-VP Kurt Landgraf. The presence of the large group from DuPont reinforces the image of the company as a stable, continuing version of the predecessor firm. In the early stages, the DuPont Merck affiliation appears to be one of the smoothest and least dislocating of the recent series of large mergers and collaborations. Mollica, the former DuPont VP-pharmaceuticals, was selected as the joint venture's topsider at the outset when the deal was announced last July ("The Pink Sheet" July 30, p. 13). Landgraf was previously director of the Pharmaceuticals and Imaging Agents Divisions and Medical Products Department at DuPont. His 10-year career at DuPont includes two top marketing director assignments in charge of most major world markets and a stint in the corporate planning department. Merck's top management oversight of the joint venture comes through a six-person "partnership board" which is split 50-50 between Merck and DuPont representatives. Mollica reports to that board. From Merck are Senior VP Frances Spiegel; MS&D International Division President Jerry Jackson; and MS&D Research Labs Division President Edward Scolnick. The DuPont triumvirate consists of Imaging/Medical Products Senior VP Mark Suywn; corporate VP and Treasurer Michael Sharples; and Europe, Middle East & Africa VP David Williamson. Filling out the management committee are four senior VPs and six VPs. In the former group are DuPont veterans: John Mullane, who has responsibility for drug development; Kenneth Kasses (radiopharmaceuticals); Thomas Bucknam (legal, government and public affairs); and Richard Dunning (finance, information systems). Mullane, along with committee member Robert Taber (VP- research), were the former heads of DuPont R&D. They report to Martin. Joining Taber in the joint venture's VP ranks are: Debby Jo Blank (strategy and business development); and Lawrence Rasero (human resources).