NEW YORK, July 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Burns McClellan, Inc., a leader in integrated communication for life sciences companies, today announced the unexpected passing of Lisa Burns, who founded the agency in 1988 and served as its Chief Executive Officer. She was 67 years old.
Under the agency succession plan established by Ms. Burns, Diana Boter, Chief Financial and Operating Officer, will assume the role of CEO, responsible for all business and operational functions and Lee Roth, Executive Vice President and Head of Investor Relations, will become President, overseeing all account service and client-facing responsibilities.
“We are deeply saddened by Lisa’s passing and extend our deepest condolences to her family at this difficult time,” said Diana Boter, CEO of Burns McClellan. “She was a pioneer in our field who had a profound impact both personally and professionally on her employees, her clients and the members of the investment community with whom she worked. To many of these people, myself included, she was much more than a colleague, an advisor or a mentor – she was also a dear friend. In the 36 years since she founded Burns McClellan, Lisa established an unparalleled reputation for excellence rooted in a steadfast dedication to serving as trusted partners for our clients. Lee and I share this philosophy and along with our team, are fully committed to honoring her legacy.”
Since founding Burns McClellan in 1988, Lisa has provided strategic financial counsel to countless early- and late-stage companies, with a particular focus on securing access to institutional investors through her longstanding relationships with the leading venture capitalists and institutional investors in the life sciences sector.
Lisa was instrumental in assisting companies with strategic positioning and fundraising rounds from seed and private financings through initial public offerings, reverse mergers and other approaches to entering the public markets, as well as numerous follow-on public financings. In the communications area, Lisa was an expert in investor and media relations, corporate development and strategic consulting, new product launches, and crisis management including both clinical and regulatory matters. Lisa worked on product development and issues management in such areas as women's healthcare, neurology, oncology, hematology, cardiology and obesity/metabolic disorders. She served as a member of the Board of Directors of Genesis Pharmaceuticals, Sapient Health Network (currently a division of Web MD/Healtheon) and the Irvington Institute. She was also a founding member of the Society for the Advancement of Women's Health Research (SAWHR), and the founder of its corporate advisory council. Prior to founding Burns McClellan, Lisa served ten years as a member of senior management at several leading public relations firms, including Fleishman-Hillard International Communications, Edelman Public Relations Worldwide and Burson-Marsteller.
About Burns McClellan
Since its inception, Burns McClellan has represented more than 400 of the industry's pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies through all phases of clinical and organizational development and commercialization. Pharmaceutical companies Baxter, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hoffmann-La Roche, Novartis, Rhône-Poulenc Rorer, Syntex Corporation, Teva Pharmaceutical, Wyeth-Ayerst, and life sciences companies Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Alkermes, Cephalon, ChemoCentryx, COR Therapeutics, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Gilead Sciences, Horizon Therapeutics, Human Genome Sciences, Kite Pharma, OSI Pharmaceuticals and SUGEN are among the industry's leaders that have partnered with Burns McClellan in its history.
About Diana Boter
Since joining Burns McClellan in 2009, Diana has provided exceptional leadership as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. During her tenure at Burns McClellan, Diana has been highly results-driven and has demonstrated an expertise in strategic planning of all aspects of the business including financial oversight, management and growth of the company. She is responsible for key business development and operational activities including financial planning, human resources, client sourcing, contract negotiations and long-term strategy.
Diana worked side by side with Lisa Burns to grow and solidify Burns McClellan as one of the longest tenured premier life sciences investor relations and public relations firms. Diana earned a Bachelor of Science from New York University’s Stern School of Business.
About Lee Roth
Lee joined Burns McClellan in May 2019 to lead the firm’s IR practice. He specializes in investor relations and communications for both public and private companies in a wide variety of therapeutic areas and stages of clinical and corporate development, including commercialization. He has more than 25 years of experience developing and executing strategic communications programs and has spent over a decade focused exclusively on life sciences.
Lee joined Burns McClellan from The Ruth Group, where he was Executive Vice President and head of investor relations, leading strategic IR programs on behalf of a range of clinical and commercial-stage companies spanning therapeutics, devices, diagnostics and Health IT. Prior to joining The Ruth Group in 2013, Lee was a Vice President at The Piacente Group, where he managed IR activities for domestic and international companies. He began his career at KCSA Strategic Communications, a New York-based public and investor relations agency.
For additional information, please contact
Lee Roth / Robert Flamm, PhD
646-382-3403 / 914-689-8434
lroth@burnsmc.com / rflamm@burnsmc.com
