VALLEY FORGE, Pa., Nov 15, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- AmerisourceBergen Corporation (NYSE:ABC) today announced
the election of Richard C. Gozon, 67, as Chairman of the Board of
Directors, effective at the February 9, 2006 Annual Stockholders
Meeting and contingent on his reelection as a director at the meeting.
He is expected to replace James R. Mellor, 75, who will retire as
Chairman and a director at the February 2006 Annual Stockholders
Meeting as required by the mandatory retirement provisions of the
Company's Corporate Governance Principles.
"Jim's leadership has been extremely beneficial to
AmerisourceBergen, and the Board and I wish him well in his
retirement," said R. David Yost, AmerisourceBergen Chief Executive
Officer. "As a long-serving Board member, Dick will bring solid
industry knowledge to the Chairmanship, and I look forward to working
with him."
A member of AmerisourceBergen's Board of Directors since the
Company's creation in August 2001, Mr. Gozon previously served as a
director of AmeriSource Health Corporation for seven years. He was
Executive Vice President of Weyerhaeuser Corporation from 1994 until
his retirement in 2002. Mr. Gozon is a member of the Board of Trustees
of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia; the lead director of
the Triumph Group, Inc.; and a director of UGI Corporation and
AmeriGas Partners, L.P.
Mr. Mellor was elected Chairman of the Company in March 2004,
having joined the AmerisourceBergen Board of Directors at the
Company's formation in 2001. Previously, he served 22 years on the
Bergen Brunswig Corporation Board of Directors. He has been Chairman
of USEC Inc. since 1998, serving as Chief Executive Officer of USEC
from 2004 to 2005. Mr. Mellor was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
of General Dynamics Corporation from 1993 to 1997. He is also a
director of Net2Phone, Inc.
The AmerisourceBergen Board of Directors is composed of ten
directors.
About AmerisourceBergen
AmerisourceBergen (NYSE:ABC) is one of the largest pharmaceutical
services companies in the United States. Servicing both pharmaceutical
manufacturers and healthcare providers in the pharmaceutical supply
channel, the Company provides drug distribution and related services
designed to reduce costs and improve patient outcomes.
AmerisourceBergen's service solutions range from pharmacy automation
and pharmaceutical packaging to pharmacy services for skilled nursing
and assisted living facilities, reimbursement and pharmaceutical
consulting services, and physician education. With more than $54
billion in annual revenue, AmerisourceBergen is headquartered in
Valley Forge, PA, and employs more than 14,000 people.
AmerisourceBergen is ranked #23 on the Fortune 500 list. For more
information, go to www.amerisourcebergen.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release may contain certain "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements
are based on management's current expectations and are subject to
uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may vary
materially from the expectations contained in the forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements may include statements
addressing AmerisourceBergen's future financial and operating results
and the benefits, efficiencies and savings to be derived from the
Company's integration plans to consolidate its distribution network.
The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to
differ materially from those described in any forward-looking
statements: competitive pressures; the loss of one or more key
customer or supplier relationships; customer defaults or insolvencies;
changes in customer mix; supplier defaults or insolvencies; changes in
pharmaceutical manufacturers' pricing and distribution policies or
practices; adverse resolution of any contract or other disputes with
customers (including departments and agencies of the U.S. Government)
or suppliers; regulatory changes; changes in U.S. government policies
(including reimbursement changes arising from the Medicare
Modernization Act); market interest rates; operational or control
issues arising from AmerisourceBergen's outsourcing of information
technology activities; success of the Pharmaceutical Distribution
segment's ability to transition its business model to fee-for-service;
success of integration, restructuring or systems initiatives;
fluctuations in the U.S. dollar - Canadian dollar exchange rate;
economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory developments in
Canada; acquisition of businesses that do not perform as we expect or
that are difficult for us to integrate or control; and other economic,
business, competitive, legal, regulatory and/or operational factors
affecting the business of AmerisourceBergen generally.
More detailed information about these and other risk factors is
set forth in AmerisourceBergen's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for
fiscal 2004.
AmerisourceBergen is under no obligation to (and expressly
disclaims any such obligation to) update or alter any forward looking
statements whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
SOURCE: AmerisourceBergen Corporation
AmerisourceBergen Corporation
Michael N. Kilpatric, 610-727-7118
[email protected]