Dawn Kalmar

Biography

 Ms. Kalmar is the Vice President of Corporate Communications. In this role, she is responsible for corporate and product communications, employee communications and engagement, corporate branding and design, media relations and executive communications. Ms. Kalmar also oversees Vertex’s Thomas M. Menino Learning Lab – a collaboration with the Boston Public School system to enhance Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education through hands-on learning.   Since joining Vertex in September 2010, Ms. Kalmar has held several senior-level positions, serving as Director of Product Communications for the back-to-back approvals and launches of the company’s first two marketed medicines and Senior Director of Internal/Executive Communications, before being named Vice President of Corporate Communications in 2014.   Ms. Kalmar has more than fifteen years of biotech and pharmaceutical experience. Prior to Vertex, she held various communications roles at Genentech during a period of significant growth for the company. In her seven years there, she supported various external and internal communications, patient advocacy and community relations.   During her tenure, she led public relations (PR) activities for Genentech’s top three branded biopharmaceuticals – Avastin® (bevacizumab), Lucentis® (ranibizumab) and Rituxan® (rituximab) – including the launch of Lucentis for wet age-related macular degeneration. Ms. Kalmar has experience in issues and crisis management as well as mergers and acquisitions. She began her career with a PR agency where she managed communications programs for biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device clients.   Ms. Kalmar has a B.S. in Journalism from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.

Research Interest

 corporate and product communications, employee communications and engagement, corporate branding and design, media relations and executive communications Journalism