SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The Prostate Cancer Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropic source of support for prostate cancer research, today announced the addition of three new members to its Board of Directors: Robin Richards, former CEO of Vivendi Universal Net USA and founder of mp3.com; Arthur Kern, Founder and Chairman of American Media; and James Allchin, Group Vice President of Microsoft Corp.'s Platforms Group. In addition, Allan Fox, Esq., will begin serving as an advisor to the PCF focusing on accelerating the approval of promising cancer drugs.
Leslie D. Michelson, Vice Chairman and CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, stated: “I am delighted to welcome Robin Richards, Art Kern, and Jim Allchin to the Prostate Cancer Foundation’s board of directors and Allan Fox as an advisor. The rich and diverse public service and business experience of these four outstanding individuals make them valuable additions to the Foundation’s Board and advisory team as we continue to find better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer, the most common non-skin cancer in America, striking more than 220,000 new men each year.”
Robin Richards is a pioneer in the multi-billion dollar internet entertainment business. Most recently, he was the President of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Prior to that, he was the CEO of Vivendi Universal Net USA, an entity created in the fall of 2001 to manage the U.S. Internet-related companies owned by Vivendi Universal. Mr. Richards also founded and was president, chief operating officer and a director of MP3.com, one of the early digital music providers on the Internet. Mr. Richards took MP3.com public in 1999, resulting in the largest IPO for an Internet company at the time, raising almost $400 million. He was the lead negotiator for the sale of MP3 to Vivendi Universal in 2001.
Currently, Mr. Richards serves as president of the Chase Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to making Child Life Services available at no cost to all children and their families served by Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Mr. Richards holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University and attended Whittier College School of Law.
Arthur Kern is a well-respected broadcast executive and the founder and chairman of American Media, which holds interests in select media-related companies. During Mr. Kern’s tenure, American Media acquired and operated 11 commercial AM and FM radio stations in the United States. Prior to this, Mr. Kern held a variety of television station management positions with Westinghouse Broadcasting Company (now CBS).
Mr. Kern has served as a member of Yahoo!'s Board of Directors since January 1996 and also serves on the Board of Directors of Digitas, Inc., a global marketing services firm. He is also a member of the World Presidents’ Organization and Chief Executives’ Organization. Mr. Kern graduated from Yale University.
Jim Allchin is well-known in the computer industry, serving as a member of Microsoft’s Senior Leadership Team responsible with Steve Ballmer, Bill Gates and other Team members for developing Microsoft’s core direction. As group vice president of Microsoft’s Platforms Group, Mr. Allchin leads the development and marketing efforts for Microsoft’s operating systems and other server systems and technology platforms, including the Microsoft(R) Windows(R) operating system, Microsoft.NET, the Windows Server System and new media technology. At Microsoft, Mr. Allchin is also a member of the Business Leadership Team, which is responsible for broad strategic and business planning for the entire company.
Before joining Microsoft, Mr. Allchin helped start Banyan Systems Inc., where he was the principal architect of the VINES distributed network operating system. At Banyan, he held a number of executive management positions in development and marketing, including senior vice president and chief technology officer. Mr. Allchin has attended the University of Florida, Stanford University and the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Allan Fox is the founding partner of FoxKiser, a highly-respected firm of interdisciplinary experts specializing in biomedical research, law, and public policy. Mr. Fox has offered his support to PCF in memory of his mentor and former Prostate Cancer Foundation Board member, Leslie Misrock. Mr. Fox will provide the PCF the benefit of his considerable knowledge about accelerating biomedical research and will serve as an unpaid advisor to the Board and senior management.
About the Prostate Cancer Foundation
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (formerly CaP CURE) is dedicated to finding better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America, striking 220,000 men each year. Since inception in 1993, the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) has become the world’s largest philanthropic source of support for prostate cancer research. The PCF has raised approximately $200 million and funded more than 1,100 critical research projects in 100 research centers around the world. The PCF invests 78 cents of every dollar raised on medical and scientific research; more than three times the average portion spent by the other major health-care philanthropies. Further information is available at http://www.prostatecancerfoundation.org/.
Contact: Prostate Cancer Foundation, Erika Kirsten Beck 310.570.4705 ebeck@prostatecancerfoundation.org
The Prostate Cancer Foundation
CONTACT: Erika Kirsten Beck of the Prostate Cancer Foundation,+1-310-570-4705, ebeck@prostatecancerfoundation.org
Web site: http://www.prostatecancerfoundation.org/
