Interview Details
| Interview no.: |
0183 |
| Interview Date: |
June 25, 1999 |
| Location: |
Madison, New Jersey |
| Interviewer: |
David C. Brock and Leo B. Slater |
| No. of pages: |
28 |
Abstract of Interview
Robert Luciano begins the interview with a brief description of his early years in New York City, New York. Luciano attended New York public schools, and in sixth grade was selected to join a rapid advancement program for gifted children. After graduating from high school, Luciano attended City College of New York, receiving a bachelor's degree in business in 1954. Luciano then entered the Army, serving in the Pentagon. When he returned from military service, Luciano attended law school at the University of Michigan, earning his J.D. in 1958. Luciano returned to New York, where he practiced law for eight years. He accepted a position in Ciba Corporation's General Counsel Department in 1966. Quickly rising through the ranks at Ciba, he moved into the company's business environment. Luciano was Vice President of Marketing when Ciba and Geigy merged, and by 1975, Luciano was President of Ciba-Geigy's pharmaceuticals division. His skills as a manager helped assuage the difficulties between management and research within the company. After a year with American Cyanamid Company, Luciano joined Schering-Plough Corporation in 1978 as the Senior Vice President of Administration. Luciano sought to increase understanding in the pharmaceutical industry that cutting-edge research programs sometimes produce failure and that tolerance for failure was necessary. In the late 1970s, Schering-Plough entered the world of biotechnology, buying 13 percent of Biogen. Soon after, Biogen scientist Charles Weissmann first cloned interferon. Luciano became CEO of Schering-Plough in 1982, the same year that Schering-Plough bought DNAX, another biotechnology company. Luciano concludes the interview with thoughts on research and development at Schering-Plough, his views on government regulation, and a discussion of the future of the smaller pharmaceutical companies.
Education
| 1954 |
B.B.A.,
Business,
City College of New York |
| 1958 |
J.D.
University of Michigan |
Professional Experience
Royall Koegel and Rogers (Rogers and Wells)
1958 - 1966
Senior tax associate
Ciba-Geigy Corporation
1966 - 1968
Attorney, CIBA Corporation
Ciba-Geigy Corporation
1968 - 1970
Assistant Secretary, CIBA Corporation
Ciba-Geigy Corporation
1970 - 1971
Assistant General Counsel and Director of Public Affairs, CIBA Pharmaceuticals
Ciba-Geigy Corporation
1971 - 1973
Vice President, Planning and Administration
Ciba-Geigy Corporation
1973 - 1975
Vice President, marketing, CIBA Pharmaceuticals
Ciba-Geigy Corporation
1975 - 1977
President, Pharmaceuticals Division
American Cyanamid Company
1977 - 1978
President, Lederle Laboratories Division
Schering-Plough Corporation
1978 - 1979
Senior Vice President, Administration
Schering-Plough Corporation
1979 - 1980
Executive Vice President, Pharmaceuticals
Schering-Plough Corporation
1980 - 1982
President and Chief Operating Officer
Schering-Plough Corporation
1982 - 1984
President and Chief Executive Officer
Schering-Plough Corporation
1984 - 1986
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
Schering-Plough Corporation
1986 - 1996
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
Schering-Plough Corporation
1996 - 1998
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Honors
| 1988 |
Candlelight Award, Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey |
| 1989 |
Gold Award, The Wall Street Transcript |
| 1989 |
Bronze Award, Financial World's CEO of the Decade Award Program |
| 1989 |
President's Award, Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York |
| 1989 |
New Jersey Business "Top 10 Most Admired Executives" |
| 1990 |
Distinguished Business Leaders' Award, Monmouth College |
| 1990 |
Corporate Recognition Award, National Puerto Rican Coalition |
| 1991 |
Alexander Hamilton Economic Award |
| 1991 |
Paul L. Troast Award, New Jersey Business and Industry Association |
| 1991 |
Townsend Harris Medal, Alumni Association of the City College of New York |
| 1991 |
Science/Technology Medal, Research and Development Council of New Jersey |
| 1992 |
Distinguished Service Award, American Liver Foundation |
| 1992 |
Distinguished Citizen Award, Boy Scouts of America |
| 1992 |
Hall of Fame Award, Tri-County Scholarship Fund |
| 1992 |
Ireland United States Council for Commerce and Industry's Council Award for Outstanding Achievement |
| 1992 |
New Jersey Monthly Magazine's New Jersey Business Leader of the Year Award |
| 1992 |
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Drew University |
| 1993 |
"Freedom of the Human Spirit Award," International Center for the Disabled |
| 1994 |
Baruch College Alumni Association Outstanding Achievement Award |
| 1994 |
Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree, University College Dublin of the National Ireland University |
| 1994 |
American Paralysis Association Special Award |
| 1994 |
New Jersey Battered Women's Association, Professional Leadership Citation |
| 1995 |
Baruch College Distinguished Alumnus Award |
Table of Contents
Title and Description Page
Beginnings 1
Growing up in New York City. Attending rapid-advancement program. Enrolling at City College of New York. Getting married in senior year of college. Serving in Army at the Pentagon. Attending law school.
Early Career 3
Practicing law in New York. Accepting position in law department at Ciba Corporation. Expansion in pharmaceutical industry. Movement into business management. Relationship between management and research. Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association. Research productivity. Leaving Ciba-Geigy for American Cyanamid.
Career at Schering-Plough 12
Leaving American Cyanamid. Joining Schering-Plough. Becoming CEO of Schering-Plough. Management issues. Relationship with Biogen. Charles Weissmann. Interferon. Buying DNAX. Tolerating failures in research and development. Growth of sales of interferon.
Conclusion 21
Importance of hiring quality people. Research at Schering-Plough. Future of innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. Government regulations. Success of small firms.
Index 26
About the Interviewer
David C. Brock
David C. Brock is a senior research fellow with the Center for Contemporary History and Policy at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. As a historian of science and technology, he specializes in the history of semiconductor science, technology, and industry; the history of instrumentation; and oral history. Brock has studied the philosophy, sociology, and history of science at Brown University, the University of Edinburgh, and Princeton University.
In the policy arena Brock recently published Patterning the World: The Rise of Chemically Amplified Photoresists, a white-paper case study for the Center’s Studies in Materials Innovation. With Hyungsub Choi he is preparing an analysis of semiconductor technology roadmapping, having presented preliminary results at the 2009 meeting of the Industry Studies Association.
Leo B. Slater
Leo Slater was the 2001–2002 John C. Haas Fellow and a senior research historian at the Chemical Heritage Foundation in Philadelphia, where he also served as Director of Historical Services from 1997 to 2000. A former research chemist at the Schering-Plough Research Institute, he received his doctorate in History from Princeton University in 1997.