Marla Persky

Marla Persky is a Senior Advisor at BarkerGilmore with more than 20 years of experience leading global pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostic, biologic, and OTC product businesses and legal departments. Her areas of expertise include strategic planning and execution, organizational design, ROI optimization, crisis and risk management, and governance within highly regulated industries. She is a skilled communicator, leader, and consensus builder who listens attentively and forges common understanding to drive best decision making and implementation. Marla is also an invaluable advisor on leadership, organizational management, talent management, board governance, and succession planning.

Marla Persky was Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary for Boehringer Ingelheim USA, where she oversaw a 70-member department. She was also a member of Boehringer’s executive management team and a director of the company and several of its subsidiaries. Before joining Boehringer Ingelheim, Marla spent 19 years at Baxter International Inc., where she held numerous business and legal positions, most recently Global General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. During her tenure, Marla managed global legal services, led international crisis management teams, acquired and integrated international businesses, and designed and implemented legal strategies to manage global mass torts. Before Baxter, Marla practiced law with the Chicago firm of Lurie, Sklar & Simon. Prior to entering the practice of law, she worked in sales and marketing for the Colgate-Palmolive Company.

Marla has served on numerous boards throughout her career. She is currently on the Audit and Strategic Planning Committees of the Board of Directors of YGEIA, a medical technology company. She also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Chair of the Nominating/Governance Committee and member of the Audit Committee); a member of the Board of Advisors for Text IQ; Trustee, Chair of the Investment Committee, and Member of the Audit Committee for World Neighbors; Director and President of the Board for Primary Stages; and Director, Chair of the Audit Committee, and member of the Governance and Patient Access Committees for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Previously, she was on the Board of Directors of Cytyc Corporation and Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation, the largest privately-owned pharmaceutical company in the world. Additionally, Marla was a director of Watermark Publishing, Inc., and is a frequent speaker on subjects including leadership principles, mentoring, diversity, crisis management, and negotiation techniques. She currently serves as CEO and President of WOMN LLC, an organization dedicated to increasing diversity in the legal profession and helping women and minority attorneys succeed in the business of law.

Marla earned her B.S. in Speech Studies from Northwestern University and her J.D. from Washington University in Saint Louis University School of Law.