John L. Damonti

President, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation

John L. Damonti is the President of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation as well as Vice President of Corporate Philanthropy at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, a global bio-pharmaceutical company.

Mr. Damonti has more than 20 years of experience working in the areas of health policy, community relations and philanthropy. He completed his undergraduate degree at Bowling Green State University and received a Master's in Social Work degree from Fordham University in 1985.  In 2007 John was awarded an honorary doctorate degree, also from Fordham University.

Mr. Damonti began his career as Manager of Contributions and Community Relations for Mutual of New York.  He was also Director of the Primerica Foundation (now part of Citigroup) and before joining Bristol-Myers Squibb in 1991, served as Director of State Government Relations for Ciba-Geigy Corporation (now Novartis).

The Foundation actively engages a wide range of partners to develop, execute, evaluate and promote strategic and innovative programs to improve the health outcomes of populations disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa, hepatitis B in Asia, serious mental illness in the U.S. and cancer in Central and Eastern Europe.  The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, based in New York City, also has offices in Princeton, New Jersey; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Bamako, Mali.

In what is probably the most significant and largest program that Mr. Damonti has led at Bristol-Myers Squibb, in 1999 the Foundation launched SECURE THE FUTURE, the first major private philanthropic commitment, and the largest single corporate commitment of its kind, to address issues related to HIV/AIDS in Africa. This innovative program, operating now in 20 countries in Africa, is a $150 million comprehensive public-private initiative that seeks to help alleviate the HIV/AIDS crisis, especially among women and children in sub-Saharan Africa.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, he is a member of the Boards of Directors of the Cabrini Mission Foundation and of FEI Behavioral Health Inc.

Mr. Damonti also participates in several health care policy committees including the School Health Advisory Committee of the New York Academy of Medicine; the President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Pediatric Working Group; the Global Health Program of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufactures Association and the advisory board of the Ad Council.  He is also a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine.

In 2007, Mr. Damonti received the Council on Foundations' Robert W. Scrivner Award for Creative Grantmaking, which recognizes "individuals in the field of philanthropy who have had the courage to make creative, entrepreneurial grants that have changed the fabric of our society."