Leadership Team

Giovanni Caforio, M.D. has been chief executive officer of Bristol Myers Squibb since May 2015 and has been serving on the company’s Board of Directors since June 2014. In May 2017, he assumed the role of chairman of the board.

As CEO, Giovanni has led the company’s focus on researching and developing transformational medicines, which includes a leading portfolio of immunotherapies that are fundamentally changing the way cancer is treated. Under his leadership, BMS is evolving its operating model, in order to increase speed and competitiveness. 

With a background as a physician, Giovanni has helped strengthen the company’s patient-focused culture -- one driven by innovation, speed, accountability and passion. As a leader, he is focused on the business value of a company culture that promotes and rewards diversity and inclusion. 

Prior to becoming CEO, Giovanni served as chief operating officer with responsibility for leading a fully integrated worldwide commercial organization and the companywide functions of Enterprise Services and Global Manufacturing & Supply. This was preceded by his work as the company’s chief commercial officer. 

Giovanni joined Bristol Myers Squibb in 2000 as vice president and general manager, Italy, in the Worldwide Medicines Group. He assumed added responsibility for Greece and Israel in 2001, and for South East Europe in 2003. In 2004, he was appointed senior vice president, European Marketing and Brand Commercialization. In 2007, he relocated to the US to assume the role of senior vice president, U.S. Oncology. In 2010, he was named senior vice president, Global Commercialization, Oncology and Immunology, before becoming president of the company’s U.S. organization in 2011. Prior to joining Bristol Myers Squibb, Giovanni spent 12 years with Abbott Laboratories in a number of leadership positions. 

Born and educated in Italy, Giovanni received his M.D. from the University of Rome. 

Updated: May 2017

Christopher Boerner is Chief Commercialization Officer of Bristol Myers Squibb, where he leads commercial strategy and execution across all geographies. In his previous role, Chris was head of international markets at Bristol Myers Squibb, accountable for commercial activities in all ex-U.S. markets.  He joined the company in February 2015. 

“I look forward to continuing to help BMS deliver on our mission of bringing transformational medicines to patients,” Chris said. “By focusing on innovation and execution, we can strengthen our ability to bring innovative medicines to patients faster.”

Prior to joining Bristol Myers Squibb, Chris served as the Executive Vice President of Commercial for Seattle Genetics, Inc., where he led all commercial activities for the company, as well as Senior Vice President of Commercial and Vice President of Marketing.

Before joining Seattle Genetics, Chris worked for Dendreon Corporation, where he led the marketing team. From 2002 to 2010, he worked for Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, where he served in a variety of commercial roles, including Director of Marketing on Avastin. Prior to Genentech, he worked for McKinsey & Company, serving global pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients.

Chris received his Ph.D. and M.A. in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and holds an A.B. in economics and history from Washington University in St. Louis.

Updated: November 2019

As Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer, Adam leads the company’s efforts to ensure its operations are conducted in compliance with ethical business practices, its Principles of Integrity, as well as laws and regulations in the markets it operates. In addition to reporting to the General Counsel and CEO, Adam also reports to the Chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

“Our focus on ethics and integrity is critical to the success of our company,” says Adam. “Ensuring we maintain an unwavering focus on the highest standards will help ensure we meet the commitments we have made to our patients, employees, communities where we work, and our shareholders.”

Adam most recently served as Vice President and Associate General Counsel supporting the R&D organization. Prior to that Adam provided strategic counsel to the company’s Leadership Team on policy issues and represented the company externally as the Lead of Global and Corporate Policy. 

Adam joined Bristol Myers Squibb 1999 and has held a diverse set of roles with progressively increasing responsibility within the Law Department. As counsel for the U.S. Pharmaceuticals business, Adam advised the Oncology, Virology and Immunoscience business units on regulatory, compliance, contractual and commercial matters. He also had international roles in Singapore and Paris, France where he led law departments for the company’s Asia Pacific and Japan and the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions. Prior to joining Bristol Myers Squibb, Adam was a Partner at the law firm of Sedgwick, Detert, Moran and Arnold in New York.

Adam holds a B.A. in Psychology from Brandeis University and a J.D. from Fordham University.

Updated: June 2018

David Elkins is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer responsible for Global Business Operations, which includes Business Insights and Analytics, Global Finance and Global Procurement.

“Our team creates incredible partnerships across the business to secure and build value for the company and our patients. Our team also plays a vital part in promoting health — our financial health,” says David. “It is our role to ensure we strategically and efficiently invest and deploy our resources in a manner that maximizes value for our patients and all our other stakeholders as we advance the need for innovative medicines.”

David joined Celgene in July 2018 after several years at Johnson & Johnson (J&J), where he served as Chief Financial Officer for that company’s Consumer Products, Medical Devices and Corporate Functions. Prior to J&J, his experiences include EVP & Chief Financial Officer of Becton, Dickinson and Company, a public global medical technology company. From 1995 to 2008, he held roles of increasing responsibility at AstraZeneca, and he began his career in finance at the Boeing Company in 1991. 

David earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware, an M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.B.A. from Drexel University.

Updated: November 2019

As Chief Medical Officer, Global Drug Development, Dr. Samit Hirawat oversees late-stage product development across all therapeutic areas. In this role, Samit and his organization focus on enabling the rapid progression and delivery of late-stage assets, from proof-of-concept to commercialization, through world-class clinical trial design and operations.

Samit joined BMS in 2019 with extensive drug development experience, most recently serving as Executive Vice President and Head of Oncology Development for Novartis. Previously, he led clinical development programs in multiple indications at PTC Therapeutics and Pfizer/Pharmacia Corporation.

Samit earned his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at Sawai Man Singh Medical College in India, and completed his internal medicine residency and medical oncology training at North Shore University Hospital, New York.

Updated: November 2019

Sandy Leung serves as legal advisor to the Board of Directors and company executives, and is responsible for shaping the company’s legal strategy. Sandy is also responsible for Environment, Health & Safety & Sustainability, Corporate Security and Philanthropy.

“The accelerating pace of science, governmental policies and regulations and overall global complexity across our industry requires us to be even more agile than ever,” says Sandy. “Our legal team brings strategic value across all aspects of our business through practical and sound counsel that guide our company in its mission to help patients.”

Sandy joined Bristol Myers Squibb in 1992 as a staff attorney in the litigation department. In 1996, she became assistant counsel and one year later, was named associate counsel. In 1999, Sandy was appointed to the position of counsel and corporate secretary. In 2006, she was appointed acting general counsel and in 2007, she was named general counsel. In 2014, Sandy was named executive vice president.

Prior to joining the company, Sandy was a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

“My advice to those aspiring to management positions is to be good at what you do. You have to be willing to do the hard work and bring good excellent judgment and expertise to the table. Most important, you must have great personal integrity and be someone people can trust. If people trust you, they will feel comfortable seeking your advice. Also, be respectful of people, not just your superiors but everyone.”

Sandy earned her law degree from Boston College of Law and her bachelor’s degree from Tufts University.

Updated: May 2017

Elizabeth Mily is Executive Vice President, Strategy & Business Development, at Bristol Myers Squibb. In this role, she oversees the company strategy and all business development activities, including strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, as well as other strategic initiatives. Elizabeth is instrumental in our approach to source scientific innovations across commercial, development, discovery and technology platforms to complement the company’s internal R&D pipeline. Elizabeth was appointed to the position in March 2020.

“I'm excited to join Bristol Myers Squibb at a time when the company is poised for tremendous growth through its high-performing brands, upcoming new product launches and robust pipeline.” Elizabeth says. “I look forward to playing an important role in enhancing our capability to pursue the next generation of medicines.”

Prior to joining Bristol Myers Squibb, Elizabeth was a senior member of the Global Healthcare Group at Barclays where she led its Lifesciences business, including the BioPharma, Life Science Tools and Diagnostics sectors. Prior to joining Barclays, Elizabeth served as Head of Corporate Strategy and Development at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Previously she was a Managing Director and senior coverage officer within the Healthcare Department of the Investment Banking Division at Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Elizabeth holds a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts in German Literature and European History from The Ohio State University. She was also a Fulbright Scholar to the Universities of Cologne and Hamburg, Germany. Elizabeth also completed a Congress-Bundestag scholarship in Bonn, Germany.

Elizabeth is an active alumnus of the Ohio State University, sitting on the Dean’s Advisory Council of the Fisher College of Business. She also serves as a Trustee of the Stephen Gaynor School.  

Updated : March 2020

Ann M. Powell is the Global Head of Human Resources with direct responsibility for driving the corporation’s global capabilities in talent management, culture and organizational effectiveness tied directly to business performance.

Ann works across the enterprise to support Bristol Myers Squibb's commitment to creating an energizing work experience and a culture that is powerfully diverse and broadly inclusive, where individuals are encouraged to exceed their potential and inspired to make innovative contributions for our patients and the global communities in which they live and work.

“The courage and passion of our workforce is truly inspiring and drives an even higher level of engagement in making a difference in the lives of patients” says Ann.

Ann’s industry experience and expertise lie in executive compensation, leadership development, change management, diversity/inclusion, training design and delivery, talent acquisition, labor relations, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and start-ups.

With a career spanning both international and domestic assignments, Ann has held leadership roles of increasing responsibility within both the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, including Dow Chemical and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Prior to joining Bristol Myers Squibb in 2013, Ann was the Chief Human Resources Officer for Shire Pharmaceuticals.

Ann earned a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in Industrial Relations from the University of Minnesota.

Updated: November 2019

As senior vice president and president of Global Product Development and Supply (GPS), Lou oversees worldwide product development and manufacturing for Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS).  GPS develops and produces active ingredients and drug products, and delivers the company’s medicines throughout the world. The GPS team achieves this mission through a relentless focus on innovation, quality, safety and agility.  

"In GPS we turn molecules into life-changing medicines," said Lou. "Everyone in the organization is dedicated to deliver them in the right way, at the right time, every time for the patients we serve."

Lou joined BMS in 2011 as president of Technical Operations. Prior to joining BMS, he led Pfizer’s worldwide biotech manufacturing operations as senior vice president of the Specialty-Biotechnology Operating Unit.  Previously he was responsible for global pharmaceutical manufacturing for Wyeth and Vice President of quality for Hoffman-LaRoche. Earlier in his career he also held leadership roles at Marion Merrell Dow, Mallinckrodt and Novartis-Sandoz. 

Lou is an active member and has held leadership positions in several industry organizations including the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) and National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). 

He holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Temple University and a master’s in management from Webster University. 

Updated: September 2017

As Chief of Staff, Catalina Vargas supports the office of the Chief Executive Officer and plays a strategic role in driving enterprise initiatives. 

Catalina has more than 20 years of experience in the biopharma industry and has held positions of increasing responsibility in a range of local, regional and global roles in global strategic sourcing and procurement as well as manufacturing; she has also served as a product portfolio leader. 

She joined Bristol Myers Squibb in 2018 as Vice President, Strategic Sourcing and Procurement, Global Product Development and Supply, managing a complex supply chain need to ensure the uninterrupted supply of medicines to our patients. Prior to joining Bristol Myers Squibb, she was with Pfizer for 18 years in a number of leadership positons. 

 “I was drawn to the biopharma industry to help bring much needed treatments to patients with serious diseases,” she says. “In my roles in procurement, a strategic area that helps advance a company’s competitive capabilities, I was proud to play a part in delivering innovative medicines to patients.”

Born and educated in Colombia, Catalina earned her bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Universidad Javeriana and a graduate degree in finance and capital markets from Universidad de La Sabana.

Updated: March 2021

Rupert Vessey leads Research and Early Development, overseeing the advancement of promising programs, technologies and assets across all therapeutic areas, from discovery through proof-of-concept. He also works closely with Business Development to identify external sources of innovation.

“My colleagues and I believe in the power of scientific innovation to change the course of human health,” says Rupert. “That kind of culture and dedication is my most powerful motivator when I come to work each day.”

Rupert joined BMS from Celgene, where he served as President of the company’s Research and Early Development organization. Prior to joining Celgene in 2015, Rupert spent ten years at Merck, where he was responsible for numerous drug development programs and held leadership roles in the company’s Early Development, Discovery Sciences, Drug Discovery and Informatics groups, as well as its respiratory and immunology franchise. Prior to his time at Merck, he spent five years at GlaxoSmithKline involved in drug discovery, experimental medicine and early clinical development of therapeutics for respiratory and immune diseases. 

Rupert graduated from Oxford University in the United Kingdom with degrees in Physiological Sciences (M.A.), Clinical Medicine (B.M., B.Ch.) and a Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.) in Molecular Immunology. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.

Updated: November 2019

Paul von Autenried heads Bristol Myers Squibb’s Information Technology organization, positioning the company for success in the rapidly evolving digital age.  He is focused on ensuring the company’s information assets and operations are reliable, accessible and secure, driving the digitization of the company, adopting new approaches to digital health, and continuing an innovative approach to long-term partnerships with key IT service delivery companies.

“It’s an exciting time to lead an IT team as advances in technology are providing new opportunities to streamline our lives in unprecedented ways, including managing our health,” Paul said. “Delivering digital capabilities that accelerate the company's work of bringing innovative medicines to patients is both a challenge and an honor.”

Throughout his experiences in domestic and international high-tech, consumer packaged goods, and biopharmaceuticals companies, Paul's career has been focused on strategically leveraging information technology to drive superior performance. Before joining Bristol Myers Squibb, Paul held positions with Kraft General Foods, Hewlett-Packard and IBM. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the PennMedicine Princeton Healthcare System, and on the Board of Directors of Quick Base.

Paul has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in computer science from Stevens Institute of Technology, and has completed the Program for Management Development at Harvard Business School and the Program for Leadership Development at IMD in Switzerland. 

Updated: October 2020

As Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Michelle Weese oversees the company’s initiatives to protect, promote and enhance the Bristol Myers Squibb brand and reputation through strategic communications, government relations and policy, corporate social responsibility and patient advocacy.

Michelle joins BMS from the global food and beverage company Danone, where she served for two years as General Secretary for North America and also led strategic corporate functions, including government and public affairs, communications, community affairs, scientific affairs and sustainable development for North America.

In 2009 she founded the private consulting firm, strat-igence, serving as its CEO and working with a range of clients from the biopharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods industries, including Johnson & Johnson, Church & Dwight, PepsiCo and Unilever, on issues such as crisis management, corporate affairs and corporate transformation. Prior to that, she held positions of increasing leadership responsibility in corporate affairs at Mars, Inc. including serving as Global Head of Communications. 

“Our role as biopharma leader has never been more important,” says Michelle. “In an evolving global market, this is a critical time to ensure that the innovative and transformative work being done by the company across multiple fronts is being communicated to our patients, policymakers, colleagues and broader stakeholders.”

Michelle earned her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Georgia State University. 

Updated: June 2021