Two hires to succeed Bausch + Lomb exec

Listen to this article

A former NJBIZ General Counsel of the Year finalist is leaving Bausch + Lomb Corp. and two new executives are in line to fill her shoes. 

The global eye health company – which is headquartered in Ontario with corporate offices in Bridgewater – announced April 12 that Christina Ackermann will step down April 28 from her role as executive vice president, general counsel, and president, Ophthalmic Pharmaceuticals. 

Succeeding Ackermann will be Bob Bailey as executive vice president and chief legal officer and Andrew Stewart as president of ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, both effective April 24. The new hires will also join the company’s executive management team. 

“Bob Bailey and Andrew Stewart both bring more than 25 years of unrivaled leadership and expertise in their respective areas,” Chairman and CEO Brent Saunders said in a statement. “Bob is a talented leader and legal strategist with experience that spans across the health care industry. Andrew has a highly proven track record of developing and commercializing pharmaceutical products that meet unmet needs in eye health.” 

Saunders also thanked Ackermann for her “tireless dedication” to Bausch + Lomb. According to her company profile, Ackermann joined former parent Bausch Health in 2016. Bausch + Lomb launched as a publicly traded company in May 2022. 

The recent executive shifts follow other significant changes since the company’s launch as a separate entity. Former CEO Joseph Papa announced in July 2022 that he would step down; he was replaced with Saunders in March. Saunders had previously served as CEO of the company from 2010 to 2013. 

Meet the new executives 

Bailey, who has nearly 30 years of legal experience, primarily in the health care industry, said he was excited to return to Bausch + Lomb, where he “proudly served for 18 years earlier in my career.”  

Most recently, Bailey was chief legal officer at Datavant, a private health information technology company. In addition to his previous time with Bausch + Lomb – where he was executive vice president, law, policy and communications – he also served in legal executive roles at Ciox Health, Allergan plc and its predecessors, and Nixon Peabody LLP.  

Bailey earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College and a J.D. from the University of Minnesota. 

Stewart brings more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Most recently, he was general manager within AbbVie’s Eye Care franchise. He joined Abbvie’s predecessor company, Allergan, in 2018. Stewart has also worked for Bristol Meyers Squibb and Merck & Co. 

He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in environmental science from Rutgers University and an MBA from the New York University Stern School of Business. 

“Bausch + Lomb has a comprehensive product portfolio and innovative pipeline in Ophthalmic Pharmaceuticals,” Stewart said. “I am eager to work with Brent and the team to bolster the Company’s prescription medicines business and find new solutions that meet the evolving needs of the eye care professionals and patients around the world who rely on Bausch + Lomb.”