DIA Appoints Worldwide Executive Director

PharmaManufacturing.com
01/11/2008

The Drug Information Association (DIA) recently announced the appointment of Linda McGoldrick as its new worldwide executive director. McGoldrick replaces William Brassington, who served as acting executive director since 2006.

McGoldrick, the first woman to serve as DIA worldwide executive director, is proud to have been chosen to lead.

“I am excited to be part of the DIA cause in providing a universally respected neutral forum for information exchange on global drug development and discovery,” she explains. “Serving as DIA Worldwide Executive Director offers a great opportunity to work every day with a diverse group of professionals, from many different disciplines, companies, governments, and countries. It is this type of global collaboration that provides DIA a tremendous opportunity for growth and innovation aligning itself with the markets it serves.”
 
“Linda comes to DIA with internationally recognized experience in both the healthcare and financial sectors on a global level,” says Ron Fitzmartin, president, DIA board of directors. “Drug research and development is truly global, and Linda’s successful track record of restructuring and transitioning organizations, promoting new business ventures, and creating strategic alliances are vital to DIA’s global mission and vision.”
 
In her role as worldwide executive director, McGoldrick will direct the global operations of the Association, expand DIA presence in strategic locations around the world and lead DIA’s implementation of the Association’s strategic plan.

“I want to continue to advance both our global presence as well as enhance the value of DIA by strengthening and expanding our members and constituents,” says McGoldrick. “One of my primary objectives is to establish a foothold in several emerging markets such as India, China, Eastern Europe, and Latin America that promise exciting opportunities from both business operations and educational perspectives.”

McGoldrick holds an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and an MSW in healthcare from the University of Pennsylvania. Along with her educational background, she brings to DIA nearly 30 years’ experience in global business development, financial management, and product development in the healthcare and life science industries.

Prior to joining DIA, McGoldrick was president and CEO of Financial Health Associations International (FHAI), where she led multinational teams in the creation and implementation of growth strategies for international companies; national development director and senior vice president at Marsh MMC Companies; and Director at VEOS plc. Also, as managing director Europe for Kaiser Permanente International (KPI), she successfully launched KPI Europe and led the development, strategic growth, and management of KPI as the largest integrated healthcare provider globally. She has also served as director, Business Development with Shearson American Express and as a management consultant with Arthur D. Little Inc.
 
McGoldrick’s career successes have centered on global and corporate business development and partnerships, developing and implementing strategic marketing and growth initiatives, and strategic visioning in the financial, healthcare, and life sciences industries. 
 
About the Drug Information Association (DIA)
The Drug Information Association (DIA) serves more than 30,000 professionals in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and regulatory industries worldwide. Through its domestic and international meetings, training courses, workshops and webinars, DIA provides a neutral global forum for the exchange of information critical to the advancement of the drug discovery and lifecycle management processes. Headquartered in Horsham, PA, USA, and with offices in Basel, Switzerland and Tokyo, Japan, the Association is led by its volunteer-based board of directors and executive management team.