Robert Essner is the retired Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He was elected President of the corporation from July 2000 until April 2006 and also served as Chief Operating Officer between July 2000 and May 2001. During his tenure at Wyeth, Mr. Essner was also Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and Chairman of the Dolder Group, a council of leaders of large global pharmaceutical corporations. A graduate of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, Mr. Essner earned a master’s degree from the University of Chicago.

Currently, Mr. Essner is an Executive in Residence and an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School. He is Chairman of Elucida Oncology and on the board of directors of Organon and Omeza. He is a member of the board and previous Chairman of both the Children’s Health Fund in New York and Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida. During his career, he served on the board of Mass Mutual and was Senior Advisor to the Carlyle Group.