Genzyme Corp. (GENZ) announced that it has taken steps to strengthen the role of its lead independent director, and appointed new leadership to head the board's audit committee. The lead independent director will now have an expanded role in determining the direction of the discussions that take place at the board level, including the approval of full board meeting agendas and materials.
Robert Carpenter, president of the privately-held investment company Boston Medical Investors Inc., is currently serving in the role of Lead Director. Carpenter is also the board chair at Hydra Biosciences, and has served as board chair or CEO at several biotechnology companies. The role will have a three-year term, should the director be re-elected annually.
New board director Robert Bertolini, the former executive vice president and chief financial officer at Schering-Plough Corp., was also appointed to chair the Audit Committee. Bertolini, prior to joining Schering-Plough, had a 20-year career at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and ultimately led the firm's global pharmaceutical industry practice.
The company said that its board also recently approved changes to the company's governance guidelines, to reflect a commitment that at least two-thirds of its board will consist of independent members. Previously, the guidelines required only half of the board to consist of independent members. The current nine member Genzyme board has only one non-independent member.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.