PRESS RELEASES

Laura Schumacher Joins BarkerGilmore as Senior Advisor, Focusing on Executive Coaching in the Healthcare & Life Sciences Practice

Fairport, NY (September 7, 2023) — BarkerGilmore, a leading in-house legal and compliance executive search, coaching, and advisory firm, announced that Laura J. Schumacher will serve as a senior advisor, providing guidance and professional development to general counsel and other executives and bringing her extensive expertise and accomplishments in the healthcare industry to the firm’s healthcare & life sciences practice.

Laura brings over 18 years of c-suite experience, having served as an executive leader and general counsel at two Fortune 100 Companies. She most recently served as the vice chairman of external affairs and chief legal officer of AbbVie, from its creation in 2013 until her retirement in March 2023, where she guided a staff of more than 700 to fulfill AbbVie’s purpose-driven mission to drive continuous innovation, improve health outcomes and enhance people’s lives. She built and directed numerous high-impact functions, including legal and compliance, business development, government affairs, health economics outcomes research (HEOR), brand & communications, and corporate responsibility.

Laura also served as the executive vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary of Abbott Laboratories for many years, where she led a global legal and compliance organization of approximately 500 employees covering multiple operating business units, including pharmaceuticals (proprietary and established), diagnostics, devices, and nutritional products.

Additionally, Laura currently serves as a director at General Dynamics, where she is the chair of the compensation committee and lead director, and at CrowdStrike, where she is a member of the Nomination and Governance Committee. In addition, she has board experience from several prominent non-profit organizations, including Ronald McDonald House Charities and the AbbVie Foundation.

Laura’s dedication to diversity and inclusion has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including the American Bar Association’s prestigious Margaret Brent Award in 2022 for positively impacting diversity in the legal profession.

Laura received her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and her B.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame.

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About BarkerGilmore

BarkerGilmore is a boutique executive search, coaching, and advisory firm focused exclusively on senior in-house legal and compliance professionals. Its team and expertise set the firm apart, including esteemed General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officers, and executive search consultants, whose national reach, established relationships, and meticulous assessment process have enabled them to excel in the industry’s most challenging and high-profile searches. The team possesses personal experience across industries, which enhances their ability to help public, private, non-profit, and government clients recruit and develop talent. Key success metrics include high levels of customer satisfaction, search completion rate, track record for diversity, and stick rate. The firm’s mission is to help clients identify, attract, and develop diverse legal and compliance teams to positively impact business performance and shareholder value.