2023 Honoree – John Minardo, Esq. – Professional Biography

John Minardo is the Chief Legal Officer of Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. As a leader in GI Healthcare, Ironwood markets LINZESS, the market leader in the treatment of IBS-C and chronic idiopathic constipation. As a Corporate Officer and the Company Secretary, John leads a team of lawyers and supports the company’s Board of Directors. John helped lead the acquisition of VectivBio by Ironwood in 2023.

Previously, John Minardo was the General Counsel of Seqirus, the second largest producer of Influenza Vaccines globally and a market leader in providing influenza pandemic preparedness services to global governments.

As a member of the Seqirus Leadership Team and the CSL Global Legal Department, John led a team of lawyers across the Maidenhead, New Jersey, Cambridge, MA, Holly Springs, NC and Parkville sites. John led the Novartis Influenza Vaccines Legal Department before joining Seqirus.

Prior to his role as General Counsel of NIV, John was Senior Corporate Counsel and the North America Head of Legal for Novartis Vaccines, a former Division of Novartis AG based in East Hanover NJ. In that capacity, John provided general business counseling, corporate governance, regulatory and advertising counseling, antitrust, litigation and compliance counseling. John was a Member of the Novartis Vaccines North America Management Team and Global Legal Leadership Team. He served in that role from 2012-2014.

Previously, John served as Associate General Counsel for the Novartis Consumer Health Division from 2007 through 2012. In that role, John was the Global Legal lead for the Digestive Health Category, including the Prevacid 24HR, Benefiber, Maalox and Gas-X brands as well as the International Operations Region of Novartis OTC.

Prior to joining Novartis, John worked as an Associate for Kaye Scholer, LLP, a law firm based in New Your City from September 2001 to October 2007. He specialized in complex litigation matters, including products liability, white collar criminal defense, commercial litigation, bankruptcy litigation and securities litigation.

John graduated with honors in 1997 from Boston College, with a degree in Political Science. He attended the London School of Economics in 1995. In 2001, John received a law degree from Brooklyn Law School, where he was an Articles Editor of the Brooklyn Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Honors Society.

John is a past Chair and current Board Member of the New York Center for Interpersonal Development, in Staten Island, New York.