Brent Saunders, Pharmaceutical Industry Veteran, Named Special Advisor to General Atlantic

GREENWICH, Conn., Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- General Atlantic LLC (GA), a leading global growth equity firm, announced today that Brent Saunders, most recently a senior executive at Schering-Plough, has joined the firm as a Special Advisor. In this role, Mr. Saunders will support GA's active, value-added approach to partnering with leading growth companies by providing strategic support and advice to GA's investment professionals and its portfolio companies worldwide.  

Mr. Saunders joins GA's network of Healthcare-focused Special Advisors, which also includes Dr. Mark McClellan, former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and former Commissioner of the Food & Drug Administration.

Founded in 1980, General Atlantic has a long history of identifying, investing in and supporting leading growth companies in the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America. With a target investment size of $50 million to $500 million, GA manages approximately $15 billion of capital for a select group of limited partners, investing between $1 billion and $2 billion annually on a global basis. GA's Special Advisor network consists of highly experienced senior executives who work closely with GA's investment professionals in identifying new investment opportunities and in providing deep industry and operational expertise to GA's portfolio companies.

General Atlantic has been active in the healthcare sector for nearly three decades. GA's most recent investments include Emdeon, a leading provider of healthcare transaction services and Qualicorp, a leading Brazilian provider of diversified insurance brokerage and benefits administration services.

Jonathan Korngold, who leads General Atlantic's Global Healthcare Team, said, "We are pleased to have Brent join the GA team in this advisory role.  His knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry and his experience in senior operating roles are highly relevant and valuable to the work we do with our portfolio companies."

Mr. Saunders said, "General Atlantic is very well-positioned with its global growth focus especially in today's environment. I look forward to playing an active role in collaborating with GA to identify important industry trends in the healthcare industry on a global basis. I am also excited to work closely with GA's portfolio companies on their future growth initiatives."

Prior to joining General Atlantic, Mr. Saunders was a senior executive with Schering-Plough.  Most recently he held the position of President of Global Consumer Health Care and was named Head of Integration for Schering-Plough's merger with Merck & Co. and for Schering-Plough's acquisition of Organon BioSciences. Before joining Schering-Plough, Mr. Saunders was a Partner and Head of Compliance Business Advisory at PricewaterhouseCoppers LLP. Prior to that, he was Chief Risk Officer at Coventry Health Care and Senior Vice President, Compliance, Legal and Regulatory at Home Care Corporation of America. Mr. Saunders began his career as Chief Compliance Officer for the Thomas Jefferson University Health System.

Mr. Saunders serves on the Board of Directors of ElectroCore LLC and the Overlook Hospital Foundation. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Heart Association, and, in 2008, was named to New Jersey Business Magazine's 40 Under 40. He also serves on the Transition Team for Governor-Elect Chris Christie (R-NJ).

Mr. Saunders earned his MBA from Temple University School of Business, his JD from Temple University School of Law and his bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

About General Atlantic

GENERAL ATLANTIC is a leading global growth equity firm providing capital and strategic support for leading growth companies worldwide. GA combines a collaborative global approach, sector specific expertise, long-term investment horizon and a deep understanding of growth drivers to partner with great management teams to build exceptional businesses on a global basis. Established in 1980, GA manages approximately $15 billion in capital and employs more than 75 investment professionals in its offices in Greenwich, New York, Palo Alto, London, Dusseldorf, Hong Kong, Beijing, Mumbai and Sao Paulo. For further information about General Atlantic and a list of its public and private portfolio companies, please see www.generalatlantic.com.

SOURCE General Atlantic LLC