DUBLIN/PRNewswire/ -- Perrigo Company plc (NYSE, TASE: PRGO) today announced that James Dillard has been appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer. In this new role, Jim will be responsible for providing global oversight and coordination of Perrigo's Research & Development, Quality, Regulatory and Innovation efforts. He will report to President and Chief Executive Officer, Murray S. Kessler.
Commenting on the appointment, Perrigo CEO Murray S. Kessler stated, "Jim and I have previously worked together for many years. He has a proven 31-year track record in regulated consumer and medical products, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory affairs and consumer product development. Over the course of his career Jim has led the successful development and introduction of many major new products as well as actively built innovative capabilities, frameworks and research strategies."
Kessler continued, "As we begin our evolution from a healthcare company to a selfcare company, it essential that we broaden the company's consumer products expertise and thinking to supplement our already incredibly talented bench of healthcare R&D professionals. We are confident Jim is the right leader to accelerate the development of our new product pipeline and innovation efforts. His unique combination of consumer and FDA experience make him a great fit for the new direction of the Company and I am excited for him to be joining the team."
Jim is joining Perrigo from Altria Group, Inc., where he served as Senior Vice President, Research, Development and Sciences and Chief Innovation Officer. In this role, he led the product development, regulatory sciences and engineering functions, as well as execution of the organization's innovation framework and strategies. Jim also led the manufacturing, science and technology functions for U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, part of the Altria organization.
Between 1987 and 2001, Jim worked for the FDA, where he last served as Director of the Division of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Devices. During his 14 years at the FDA, he held various leadership roles in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health and the Office of Device Evaluation.
Jim holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Biomedical Engineering from Tulane Universityin New Orleans, where he also served as a Board member for the Biomedical Engineering Department from 2000 to 2002.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements." These statements relate to future events or the Company's future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements of the Company or its industry to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "forecast," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. The Company has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While the Company believes these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, including: the timing, amount and cost of any share repurchases; future impairment charges; the success of management transition; customer acceptance of new products; competition from other industry participants, some of whom have greater marketing resources or larger market shares in certain product categories than the Company does; pricing pressures from customers and consumers; resolution of uncertain tax positions, including the Company's appeal of the Notice of Assessment issued by the Irish tax authority ("NoA") and the impact that an adverse result in such proceedings would have on operating results, cash flows, and liquidity; potential third-party claims and litigation, including litigation relating to the Company's restatement of previously-filed financial information and litigation relating to uncertain tax positions, including the NoA; potential impacts of ongoing or future government investigations and regulatory initiatives; the impact of tax reform legislation and healthcare policy; general economic conditions; fluctuations in currency exchange rates and interest rates; the consummation of announced acquisitions or dispositions and the success of such transactions, and the Company's ability to realize the desired benefits thereof; and the Company's ability to execute and achieve the desired benefits of announced cost-reduction efforts and strategic and other initiatives. Statements regarding the separation of the RX business, including the expected benefits, anticipated timing, form of any such separation and whether the separation ultimately occurs, are all subject to various risks and uncertainties, including future financial and operating results, our ability to separate the business, the effect of existing interdependencies with our manufacturing and shared service operations, and the tax consequences of the planned separation to the Company or its shareholders. In addition, the Company may identify new, or be unable to remediate previously identified material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting. Furthermore, the Company may incur additional tax liabilities in respect of 2016 and prior years or be found to have breached certain provisions of Irish company law in connection with the Company's restatement of previously-filed financial statements, which may result in additional expenses and penalties. These and other important factors, including those discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as well as the Company's subsequent filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made only as of the date hereof, and unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
