The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7367 p351
17 September 2005

Society summary

Deaths of two pharmacists from industry who both served as president of ABPI

Two pharmacists who died within days of each other last week both served as president of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry while heading companies they had built up from small beginnings. Ron Wing, CBE, was former chairman and chief executive of Sanofi Ltd, and John Lumley was former chairman and managing director of Riker Laboratories (now 3M Health Care).

Dr Wing, who died on 7 September, registered as a pharmacist in 1949 and worked for Wellcome, the Boots Co Ltd and then Reckitt & Colman. In 1980 he was asked to build a British operation for the French Sanofi group. By the time he retired 10 years later the company employed 400 staff.

Dr Wing was ABPI president from 1983 to 1985. He was also an auditor of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society from 1985 to 1990 and served as chairman of the Society’s panel of fellows for several years.

Mr Lumley, who died on 2 September, registered as a pharmacist in 1939. He began his career in community pharmacy and then moved into the industry with Boots Pure Drug Co Ltd. In 1951 he joined the newly formed Riker Laboratories and went on to build it into a thriving business.

He was president of the ABPI from 1967 to 1969. After retiring from Riker in 1976 he returned to community pharmacy.


Deaths, p325