PARSIPPANY, N.J., April 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PDI, Inc. (Nasdaq: PDII), a leading provider of sales and marketing support to U.S. health care companies, announced the retirement of John P. ("Pat") Dugan, Chairman of the Board of Directors. Dugan's retirement is effective June 3, 2010.
Dugan, age 74, founded Professional Detailing, Inc., in 1987 as a division of Dugan Farley Advertising. The goal of the newly formed division was to create high-quality outsourcing detail teams for pharmaceutical company clients for both prescription and over-the-counter brands. In 1990, PDI, Inc., spun off from the agency and John Dugan became the sole owner until taking the company public in 1998. In 2001, the company changed its name to PDI.
"Pat Dugan is truly a pioneer in our industry," said Nancy Lurker, Chief Executive Officer of PDI, Inc. "Because of Pat's strategic vision and creativity many years ago, PDI is well positioned and respected today as a leading provider of outsourced promotional services with a reputation for providing our clients with unparalleled impact and return on investment. The many successes that we are now experiencing in helping our clients manage their product portfolios and reshape their commercial opportunities would not have been possible without Pat's extraordinary leadership over the past 23 years."
Dugan began his career as a sales associate with Pfizer in 1961 and later went on to receive an MBA degree from Boston University in 1964. He is the founder of the Medical Advertising Agency Association and served as its president. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Pharmaceutical Advertising Council (now known as the Healthcare Marketing Communications Council, Inc.).
Dugan and his wife, Marion, have been active leaders for many years in various philanthropic activities. They were recently honored by the Hudson Valley Hospital Center for their many years of service, including Mr. Dugan's role as a board member. The Dugans also founded and are co-chairs of the highly respected Charity Navigator website launched in 2001. This site evaluates the financial health of more than 5,000 American charitable organizations and has been included in best website lists in Time, Forbes, PC World, Reader's Digest, BusinessWeek, Kiplinger's and Esquire.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from my partnership with Pat since joining PDI in November 2008," said CEO Lurker. "Pat's guidance and wise counsel have been incredibly helpful as we worked closely together with other members of the Board and our senior leadership team to transform the company to respond to the new challenges and opportunities that face the healthcare industry today. Personally and professionally, I will miss working with Pat, but I know he has prepared us well to capitalize on the new dynamic environment in which we are now operating. On behalf of the entire PDI organization, I would like to thank Pat for his many contributions and wish him a rewarding and happy retirement."
About PDI, Inc.
PDI provides commercialization services for established and emerging biopharmaceutical companies. The company is dedicated to maximizing the return on investment for its clients by providing strategic flexibility, sales and marketing expertise. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.pdi-inc.com.
SOURCE PDI, Inc.
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