By Colin Young, News Staff
Henri A. Termeer, the former CEO and chairman of Genzyme Corporation, will deliver the 109th commencement address to seniors at the Class of 2011 graduation ceremony May 6 at TD Garden, the university announced Tuesday in a news release.
Termeer, who is also a director of Massachusetts General Hospital, sits on the Board of Directors for Partners HealthCare and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and was appointed to Governor Deval Patrick’s Council of Economic Advisors in 2008, according to the corporation’s website. Termeer will also receive one of eight honorary degrees at this year’s commencement ceremony.
Termeer earned $7.93 million in total compensation in 2010, making him 127th on Forbes Magazine’s list of top CEO compensations and 11th within its drugs and biotech category. In the university’s announcement, President Joseph Aoun called Termeer “a path-breaking leader in scientific discovery and health.”
“He is a true global entrepreneur. It will be exciting for our graduates to hear his story and benefit from his wisdom,” Aoun said.
Genzyme began as an entrepreneurial start-up and has grown to reach 100 countries and took in over $4 billion in revenue in 2010, according to the company’s website. As a leading biotech firm, Genzyme focuses on genetic diseases, kidney disease, cancer and immunological diseases.
Among other honorees are Sylvia Mathews Burwell, president of the Global Development Program at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Bert and John Jacobs, co-founders of the Life is Good company.
The university will also award an honorary degree to the Ambassador of Japan to the US, Ichiro Fujisaki, on behalf of the people of Japan, to acknowledge their response to the earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of the country March 11.
“Our honorary degree recipients span the fields of human endeavor,” Aoun said in the announcement. “Their collective success exemplifies the innovative spirit of Northeastern.”
The commencement ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. May 6 at TD Garden.
