Content about People in the News

NEW YORK — Former CVS/pharmacy executive Steve Ortleb has joined Market Performance Group, a consulting and sales management services company, as a director on the MPG sales and retail services team and a retail adviser for the MPG Strategy Consulting group.

BALTIMORE — A University of Maryland pharmacy professor won top honors last week for his work developing a means of measuring oxygen levels in the brain, the university said Monday.

The state chapter of the American Chemical Society named Gerald Rosen its Maryland Chemist of the Year. Rosen and colleagues are developing real-time electron paramagnetic resonance imaging, or EPRI, to measure critical oxygen levels in stroke and tumor patients and to improve drug development.

CINCINNATI — Just two weeks after announcing the exit of its SVP retail operations, Kroger announced a replacement on Friday.

Geoffrey Covert, a seasoned Kroger executive, will become SVP retail operations, effective Jan. 1. He will be responsible for leading the company's programs and processes focused on operating efficiency, store productivity and associate and customer safety, Kroger said. Prior to this position, Covert served as president of the company's Cincinnati/Dayton division for the past six years.

ST. LOUIS — Supermarket chain Schnuck Markets has appointed a new VP marketing, the company said Thursday.

Robert Howard previously worked for such companies as Kellogg, Kraft, Chiquita Brands, Luxottica Retail, Tyson Foods and Perfetti Van Melle.

At Schnuck’s, Howard will be in charge of advertising, marketing services, consumer research, food education and private brand development. He will report to president and COO Todd Schnuck.

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — Amneal Pharmaceuticals has named a drug industry attorney as SVP and general counsel, the generic drug maker said Thursday.

Amneal announced the appointment of Robert Loewenstein, who previously served as head of law firm Budd Larner, P.C.’s corporate generic pharmaceuticals practice.

WASHINGTON — The Natural Products Association on Wednesday named Kim Dresser NPA VP membership, with the responsibility of leading the association’s membership services and education department.

Specifically, Dresser will direct and administer NPA’s programs to attract new members and retain current members. In addition, she will implement membership marketing initiatives and identify, develop and oversee new and existing programs, services and benefits to meet member needs.


NEW YORK — Walgreens. Costco. CVS Caremark. Rite Aid. H-E-B. Wegmans. Kerr Drug. The list goes on. In all, it was a veritable who’s who of retailing as Drug Store News’ annual Industry 
Issues Summit, which also included a Specialty Pharmacy Roundtable and Diabetes Roundtable, attracted more than 200 attendees — a new attendance record — and featured the most diverse retail panelists to date.


Sometimes shifting trends in business, society or technology can seem to crystallize, giving business leaders who are paying attention a clear view of a market’s future direction and forcing a fundamental realignment of their companies’ strategy. Such was the case four years ago for Innovation Associates, a leading pharmacy technology provider and the company behind the PharmAssist robotic automation system.

Drug Store News recently sat down with Scott Verner, president of Nipro Diagnostics, to discuss some of the synergies created by the acquisition of Home Diagnostics by Japan’s Nipro in March. 


Drug Store News: How is the new company better positioned in the U.S. market? What are the synergies?


RONKONKOMA, N.Y. — NBTY on Monday named Jeffrey Nagel to the CEO post, succeeding Scott Rudolph, who will maintain his position as chairman.

Nagel comes to NBTY from General Electric, where he held senior leadership positions in several GE businesses addressing a variety of end markets, including oil and gas, consumer electronics, technology and aviation. He most recently served as head of GE Oil and Gas Global Services and was based in Florence, Italy.

NEW YORK — Pfizer president and CEO Jeffrey Kindler has retired from the company, the drug maker said Sunday. Ian Read, who currently heads Pfizer’s global biopharmaceutical operations and has worked for the company since 1978, will succeed him.

Kindler cited personal reasons for retiring, saying his around-the-clock work schedule had been “extremely demanding” on him personally, and that he would take time to spend with his family before making his next moves.

PARIS — L'Oréal Paris has selected recording artist and actress Jennifer Lopez as its newest global brand ambassador.

Lopez joins the list of representatives for L'Oréal Paris, which includes Milla Jovovich, Patrick Dempsey, Rachel Weisz, Beyonce Knowles, Diane Kruger, Evangeline Lilly, Andie MacDowell, Eva Longoria, Freida Pinto and Gerard Butler.