Past Chairman and Co-Founder, CEO Roundtable on Cancer
Vice Chairman, Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline
Robert A. Ingram began his career in the pharmaceutical industry as a sales representative for the company that would later become Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He advanced rapidly through sales management at Merrell Dow and into government and public affairs. He left Merrell Dow in 1985 as Vice President of Public Affairs to become Vice President of Government Affairs at Merck & Co., Inc. In 1988, he was promoted to President of Merck Frosst Canada, Inc. In 1990, Mr. Ingram joined Glaxo, Inc., Glaxo plc's U.S. subsidiary, as Executive Vice President of Administrative and Regulatory Affairs and assumed a series of increasingly responsible positions, including Group Vice President. He was named Executive Vice President in January 1993, President and Chief Operating Officer in June 1993, President and Chief Executive Officer in March 1994 and Chairman in January 1999. As an Executive Director of Glaxo Wellcome plc, Bob held responsibility for operations in North America and Latin America. He was appointed to the global company's board in May 1995. In October 1997, he became Chief Executive of Glaxo Wellcome with responsibility for worldwide business operations, and added the position of Chairman to his responsibilities.
Mr. Ingram has served as Vice Chairman Pharmaceuticals at GlaxoSmithKline (plc) since 2003. He is Chairman of the Board of OSI Pharmaceuticals, and serves on the board of directors of Allergan, Cree, Inc., Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Valeant Pharmaceuticals, and Lowe's Companies.
He is a member of numerous civic and professional organizations. On July 27, 2006, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to the National Cancer Advisory Board of the National Institutes of Health.
He founded the CEO Roundtable on Cancer in 2001 in response to former President George H.W. Bush’s challenge to CEOs to do something “bold and venturesome” to defeat cancer. He served as its Chairman until 2005 and remains actively involved as Past Chairman.