The Winthrop-Sears Award was established by The Chemists' Club in 1970 to recognize individuals who, by the entrepreneurial action, have contributed to the vitality of the chemical industry and the betterment of mankind. The award is named in honor of two of America's earliest chemical entrepreneurs, John Winthrop, Jr., and John Sears. Previous recipients of the Winthrop-Sears Award include renowned industry figures such as Robert L. Gore, Jon M. Huntsman, Ralph Landau, James Mack, George Rosenkranz, Harold A. Sorgenti, and Alejandro Zaffaroni. Last year's winner was Herbert Boyer, cofounder of Genentech.
"The innovation Sol Barer demonstrated in creating and growing Celgene should serve as an inspiration to all of us in science-related industries," said Joel W. Jones, president of The Chemists' Club. "The work he leads makes a very real difference in the quality of human life, which is inarguably the highest achievement to which any of us can hope to aspire."
Barer, who will take over as CEO in May, founded Celgene as a group within Celanese Corporation prior to helping orchestrate its spin off as a stand-alone company. Among numerous other pivotal roles, he established and implemented Celgene's overall business strategy and led the development of its technology platforms (oncology and immunology). Earlier in his career, in addition to holding senior positions at Celanese, Barer was also with ChemSystems, serving as director of process evaluation and research planning.
The Chemists' Club was incorporated in 1898, and provides networking opportunities for members who share interests in chemical, paper, pharmaceuticals, metals, biotech, and science-related industries. The mission statement of The Chemists' Club is "[t]o provide both a sense of community and a collaborative forum for corporate executives, entrepreneurs, academics, and others concerned with serving and supporting the growth of science-related industries." Members include chemists, chemical industry management, entrepreneurs, formulators, security analysts attorneys, educators, and other professionals. Additional information can be found at www.thechemistsclub.com.