Thomas N. Kendris is currently the Chairman of the Sandoz Inc., U.S. Board of Directors, and Chairman of the Wagner College Board of Trustees. He retired after 27 years at Novartis where he was US Country President, Global Head Litigation and Investigations, and President of Novartis Corporation. In his role as Novartis’ US Country President, Tom was responsible for all Novartis corporate functions represented in the United States. He had oversight of 14,000 associates across Novartis US group companies including Innovative Medicines (East Hanover, NJ) and Sandoz (generics, Princeton, NJ) as well as the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (Cambridge, MA). He was also Chairman of the Novartis U.S. Country Leadership Team, leading Novartis’ country strategy for government relations and external affairs, as well as accountability for the Novartis corporate reputation in the US.
Tom served in his role as US Country President more than seven years, having been appointed in May of 2016. Throughout that time, he was indispensably assisted by Ellen Funesti, who continues in her Executive Administrative Assistant role at Novartis.
From 2012 through 2019, Tom was US Country Head of Legal, and had country-level responsibility for Legal across all Novartis US Divisions. In that role, Tom acted as chief legal advisor to the US Novartis Group of companies. In his role as Global Head of Litigation and Investigations, he was accountable for leading Novartis Group material litigations and investigations globally.
In his more than 27 years with Novartis, Tom was a mentor and coach to many Novartis associates throughout the Novartis businesses in which he worked. Tom served as Vice President and General Counsel of US Pharma at Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, as well as Global General Counsel for Novartis Oncology and Global General Counsel for Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics. Prior to those General Counsel positions, he counseled the US Transplant and Mass Market Business Units. Tom joined Ciba Geigy, a predecessor company of Novartis, in 1995.
Before joining Novartis, Tom was a litigator with the law firm of Mudge Rose Guthrie Alexander & Ferdon. His focus in his private practice was white-collar criminal defense and intellectual property litigation representing Nintendo. Prior to that, Tom was in public service for nine years as an Assistant District Attorney with the New York County District Attorney’s Office, under Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morganthau. While at the Manhattan DA’s office, he became a Deputy Bureau Chief in the Trial Division and tried many jury trials, including the Robert Chambers case with Linda Fairstein. That case was also known as the “preppy murder” trial.
Tom received his Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from Wagner College on Staten Island. He grew up on Staten Island and graduated from Curtis High School in 1974. While in law school, he met his wife, Donna Frederick. Donna is a nurse who worked for many years in pediatrics and then radiation oncology. Tom and Donna have been married 42 years and have three children, Amanda, Laura, and Thomas. Tom and Donna also have three grandchildren, Leila Grace, 8, Emmett John, 5, and Kiera Elizabeth, 3.
In life after Novartis, Tom is taking time with his family while deciding where he can best apply his decades of experience as a lawyer, business leader and mentor to countless friends and colleagues. Tom also supports philanthropic groups and causes, including Community Hope and Deirdra’s House. Whether as a board member, in a law practice, academia, or a philanthropic organization – maybe all four – Tom will devote his time on passions and causes that make a meaningful contribution to people and society.