Cynthia is a seasoned attorney and leader with a proven track record managing diverse and global teams through hyper-growth and transformation. She is a skilled navigator of complex global legal, compliance, regulatory, information security/data governance and safety matters developed over 30 years identifying, evaluating and mitigating risk in the life sciences industry, including biopharma, hospital systems and managed care organizations. Cynthia is known for her communication and constructive influencing skills and ability to positively develop a culture of ethics and integrity within organizations.
As General Counsel and Secretary for Verily Life Sciences Cynthia oversees the global law and government affairs functions. While serving as the Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for Amgen, Inc., the world’s largest biotechnology company, with over 23 billion in revenues, Cynthia set the strategy for Amgen’s Global Privacy, Trade and Healthcare Compliance organizations and guided cybersecurity and EH&S efforts. Reporting directly to the CEO and the Corporate Responsibility and Compliance Committee of the board; during her tenure as CCO Cynthia led the negotiations and navigated the company through two Corporate Integrity Agreements with the US government and was asked by the OIG to serve on a panel of experts to develop a guide on how to determine the effectiveness of a compliance program.
Before joining Amgen, Cynthia spent seven years as general counsel and building the law and risk management programs of SCAN Health Plan, a California Health Maintenance Organization. While at SCAN she advised the company board of directors and led the company through significant legal and governance challenges including a CEO transition and state government monitorship. Prior to SCAN she served as an associate mergers, acquisition and securities attorney at law firms in California and Atlanta.
Cynthia is dedicated to the development of diverse talent and giving back. She serves as Chair of the Amgen Foundation and is the executive sponsor for two Amgen employee resource groups–Amgen Black Employees Network and Women Empowered to be Exceptional. Cynthia is also the executive sponsor for Amgen’s early Career Discovery Program. She is a board member for the Ethics and Compliance Initiative, Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Music Center, Vassar College, Wildwood School, and The National Association for Law Placement Foundation. She previously served as board chair of Watts Healthcare Corporation and board member of Eisner Pediatric and Family Medical Center.
Cynthia speaks frequently and has received several awards and recognitions, including being honored with the 2019 ECI Carol R. Marshall Award for Innovation in Corporate Ethics as well as being recognized by BlackDoctor.org as one of the 2019 Top Blacks in Healthcare. Cynthia was named one of 2018’s Most Influential Black Lawyers by Savoy Magazine and was honored by the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles with the Corporate Excellence Award in 2018. In addition, Black Enterprise selected Cynthia for inclusion in the 2017 Black Enterprise Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America feature.
Cynthia received her JD from George Washington University and her bachelor’s degree from Vassar College.
Contact
cep4nb@gmail.com
(M) 805-490-4970
