EH&S Director
Nektar Therapeutics
455 Mission Bay Blvd South
San Francisco
CAUSA
94158
Biographical Sketch: Richard is certified in the comprehensive practice of industrial hygiene and currently works as the Director of EH&S for Nektar Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical firm focused on immuno-oncology and pain medication development with operations in the U.S. and India. Prior to his current position, Richard served as Global Safety and Industrial Hygiene Manager for Stiefel Laboratories, a GSK Company which is a dermatological pharmaceutical firm with operations in Ireland, Mexico, Brazil, Pakistan, Singapore, Australia, and the U.S. Richard previously worked for Rohm and Haas Company in the Global EHS and Sustainable Development department for 20 years. He was responsible for industrial hygiene technical assistance to over 120 locations worldwide, training EHS staff at those locations, developing corporate policies and standards, and conducting compliance audits on EHS issues.
Richard currently serves as a California Industrial Hygiene Council board member for the Northern California local AIHA section. He is also currently on the Board of Directors for the Workplace Health Without Borders- US Branch as well as a current member of the AIHA Scientific Planning Committee for the upcoming International Occupational Health Association Conference to be held in September 2018. Richard is a past chair of the International Affairs Committee of the AIHA and served as chairperson for the planning committees of the AIHA Asia Pacific Conferences held in both Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2014 and Singapore in 2013. Richard is a Past-President of the Northern California Section of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and serves as founder and chairperson of the Developing World Outreach Initiative. He also serves on the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health advisory boards for both the University of California and University of Michigan.
Richard attended the University of California at Berkeley, School of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences Industrial Hygiene Program where he received his M.P.H. degree in 1986. He received a biology degree from Lafayette College. On behalf of the International Affairs Committee, Richard received the Soaring Star Award in 2014. On behalf of the Developing World Outreach Initiative, Richard received the Social Responsibility Award from the AIHA in 2012, and the AIHA Fellow Award in 2011. He also received the Christine Einert Award from the Northern California Section of AIHA in 2011. He received the Distinguished EHS Scientist recognition from Rohm and Haas Company in 2004 and received the EJ Skorpinski Memorial Award from Rohm and Haas Company in 1993.