James C. Mullen Biography
James C. Mullen
James C. Mullen is President and Chief Executive Officer of Biogen Idec. Prior to the merger in November 2003, Mr. Mullen, 45, was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Biogen. He joined Biogen in 1989 as Director, Facilities and Engineering and was named Vice President, Operations, in 1992. From 1996-1999, Mr. Mullen served as Vice President, International, with responsibility for building all Biogen operations outside North America. He was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of Biogen in January 1991, Chief Executive Officer in June 2000 and Chairman in July 2002.
With Dr. William Rastetter, now Chairman of Biogen Idec, Mr. Mullen is credited with spearheading the merger of two leading biotechnology companies. Mr. Mullen has also been credited with significant accomplishments during his tenure at Biogen. As Vice President, Operations, he laid the manufacturing and distribution groundwork for the launch of AVONEX® (Interferon beta-1a), Biogen’s flagship product and the world’s leading therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. He also successfully oversaw the creation of Biogen’s world-class manufacturing capability in both Cambridge and Research Triangle Park. As Vice President, International, Mr. Mullen was the key Biogen executive responsible for the successful registration and launch of AVONEX throughout Europe. Mr. Mullen created Biogen’s direct sales organization in Europe, the largest in the biotechnology industry. AVONEX is now available in more than 30 countries worldwide, and Biogen is the first biopharmaceutical company to launch a product concurrently on two continents.
Mr. Mullen is a member of the Board of Directors of PerkinElmer, Inc., and serves on the Board of Trustees of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Boards of Directors of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and the Biomedical Sciences Careers Program.
From 1980 to 1989, Mr. Mullen held a variety of manufacturing and engineering positions at SmithKline Beckman (now GlaxoSmithKline), including Director of Engineering Worldwide. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a M.B.A. from Villanova University.