George Barrett

Former Chairman & CEO
Cardinal Health, Inc.

George Barrett is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Cardinal Health, a role he held from August 2009 through end-2017, when he became executive chairman of the board until November 2018. He was recognized multiple times as a Top CEO on the All-America Executive Team, Institutional Investor’s annual ranking of U.S. corporate leaders based on a survey of more than 2,600 investment professionals.

Previously, Barrett spent a decade at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries serving as President and CEO of its North American operations, as well as Corporate Executive Vice President for Global Pharmaceuticals. He also held senior positions at Alpharma and NMC Laboratories.

Barrett serves on the boards of Target Corporation, Brown University and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He is vice chair of the board of trustees of The Conference Board and an advisory member of the United States Tennis Association Player Development Champions Council.

Among other industry leadership roles, Mr. Barrett previously served as board chair of the Healthcare Leadership Council and the Association of Accessible Medicines, formerly Generic Pharmaceutical Industry Association. Barrett remains active in the healthcare industry serving on the boards of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety, healthcare-focused artificial intelligence company Olive and on a National Academy of Medicine’s President’s Advisory Council.

He is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the Peter G. Peterson Business Statesmanship Award from the Committee for Economic Development. Barrett earned a BA from Brown University and an MBA from New York University. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University and a frequent speaker on leadership and healthcare.