Genzyme Taps Amgen Vet for Board

Cambridge, MA-based Genzyme (NASDAQ:[[ticker:GENZ]]), the biotech powerhouse besieged by manufacturing problems, says its board has nominated former Amgen executive Dennis Fenton to its board of directors. Fenton, 58, developed significant biotech drug manufacturing expertise during his 25-year tenure at Thousand Oaks, CA-based biotech giant Amgen (NASDAQ:[[ticker:AMGN]]), according to Genzyme. He was executive vice president of operations at Amgen when he retired in 2008. Genzyme now has 10 members of its board, and all ten members are up for reelection at the firm’s annual meeting on June 16. Genzyme says that its board is expected to vote to expand the number of seats on the board to 11, and then vote to elect Fenton to the board after the annual meeting. Billionaire investor Carl Icahn is vying for four of the 10 seats up for reelection at the annual meeting next week.

Author: Ryan McBride

Ryan is an award-winning business journalist who contributes to our life sciences and technology coverage. He was previously a staff writer for Mass High Tech, a Boston business and technology newspaper, where he and his colleagues won a national business journalism award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers in 2008. In recent years, he has made regular TV appearances on New England Cable News. Prior to MHT, Ryan covered the life sciences, technology, and energy sectors for Providence Business News. He graduated with honors from the University of Rhode Island in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in communications. When he’s not chasing down news, Ryan enjoys mountain biking and skiing in his home state of Vermont.