About the Book
Henri Termeer was one of the first of a pioneering group of business executives who built a disparate group of fledgling companies into a biotech industry that has driven decades of therapeutic innovation. During a 28-year career at Genzyme, including 26 years as CEO, he created a process of drug development that for the first time was patient-centered. He also helped forge biotech's public policy agenda and inspired a generation of entrepreneurs to take on large and important challenges. An extraordinary number of today's biotech leaders were directly mentored by Termeer. His own leadership was iconoclastic: He broke rules and took risks, setting ambitious goals and finding novel ways to reach them. In doing so he transformed an industry and brought hope to patients with a range of diseases previously deemed too rare to justify the investment needed to support the development of specific therapies. In Conscience and Courage, John Hawkins, an insightful analyst of healthcare leaders, reveals the philosophy, principles, methods, and habits of a prominent and successful CEO who defied convention to create an investor-owned global enterprise that put people before profits and improved the lives of thousands of forgotten patients.
About the Author :
John Hawkins is a biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry veteran and an expert in assessing the industry's top executive and boardroom talent. For nearly four decades, John has encountered and studied many of the world's best and brightest leaders in the life sciences arena. John's personal exposure to Henri Termeer began through his involvement as a healthcare investment banker in the IPO heydays of the mid-1980s. Later, while serving as the CFO of a publicly held, pioneering mammalian cell culture firm and as a senior partner assessing and appointing more than 200 pharma/biotech Board Directors and CEOs, John accrued a unique contextual perspective on Termeer's life and legacy. Father of three grown children, Hawkins has climbed four of the world's Seven Summits. He is a Vice Chairman and a Board Director of Odgers Berndtson, LLC, New York. John and his wife, Anne, live in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Review :
"Without Henri Termeer, patients with rare diseases would have no hope for new medicines. This authoritative book brings home the highs and the lows of Henri's crusade for rare disease patients and families everywhere. For anyone who really wants to know what "patient-centric" means, this one's a must-read." -- John Maraganore, CEO, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
"Henri Termeer was among the most talented entrepreneurs I have encountered in my career. His drive, determination, and especially his strategic vision profoundly impacted not only Genzyme, but also the evolution of the biotechnology industry and the development of innovative, new drugs for rare disease patients worldwide. Henri was also a true business statesman in both Boston and the Region who contributed to the prosperity Massachusetts has achieved. John Hawkins' book captures the richness, depth and complexity of Henri's life story and his many contributions. His deep research and colorful writing make this a great read." -- Professor Michael Porter, University Professor, Harvard Business School
"Henri Termeer led a remarkable life. By pioneering the treatment of rare diseases, he transformed the lives of many forgotten patients and families. John Hawkins' account captures this passion and purpose beautifully." -- Robbie Huffines, Global Chairman, Investment Banking, JP Morgan & Co.
"This book, masterfully written by John Hawkins, has something for many different types of readers and interests. This compelling story covers the creation of a new market and industry, innovation, strategy, risk taking, leadership, and the power and humanity of an exceptional man. The odds were great but the grit and determination of Henri Termeer prevailed. Notwithstanding enormous successes over decades, Henri's compassion for patients was always foremost and permeated the culture of Genzyme." -- David E. I. Pyott, CBE, Former Chairman & CEO, Allergan Inc.
"Henri Termeer was a pioneer of the biotechnology industry, combining an astute business mind with a deep passion and empathy for patients and their families. He shaped, almost out of whole cloth, a company that would shine a light on the path to better medicines to an historically underrepresented group of patients and, in so doing, built Genzyme into a formidable enterprise. John Hawkins tells this story with insight, wit, and warmth, painting an indelible portrait of a remarkable man." -- Vicki L. Sato, PhD, Chairman, Denali Therapeutics
"Henri Termeer, through his relentless commitment to patients, created a winning global company and unleashed the era of transformative medicines for rare disease. His astonishing business acumen is only surpassed by his humanity-care for individual patients, his colleagues, his family, and his friends. John Hawkins masterfully captures the incredible business story as well as the amazing essence of the man. A must-read!" -- Deborah Dunsire, MD, President & CEO, H. Lundbeck A/S
