Barry Featherman is Executive Director of Government Affairs at Gilead Sciences.  Gilead is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers and develops innovative medicines for life-threatening diseases. Gilead makes it a priority to increase access to these medicines for people who can benefit from them, regardless of where they live or their ability to pay. This is the focus of the Access Operations and Emerging Markets (AOEM) business unit, spanning more than 140 resource-limited low- and middle- incomes countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia. In his capacity as Executive Director he oversees regional and institutional political activity within Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia.  

Prior to Gilead Mr. Featherman was a Principal at Featherman Strategic Advisors and at the Podesta Group where advised clients  in the Financial Services, Healthcare, IT, Renewable Energy, Defense, and  Training Sectors on International Expansions and assists clients with conducting business with Governments and Businesses in Latin America, Europe (EU), Asia, the Middle East, Canada and the United States.   Mr. Featherman was International Affairs Director for a  wholly-owned subsidiary of a major international law firm with 24 offices and over 750 professionals. Mr. Featherman worked with  clients on trade and investment, joint ventures and distribution matters and outreach with the Multilateral Development Banks and Regional Authorities. Mr. Featherman was appointed to serve as the Executive Director of the Global Center for Development and Democracy an organization composed of 21 former Presidents who focus on the strengthening of democratic insittuions, economic development and poverty alleviation.  Mr. Featherman brought  with him to this role nearly two decades working with Latin America. He has collaborated with the major regional multilateral organizations and governments throughout Latin America, and served as the Director of the Transition Team for the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States.

 

Experience

In Mr. Featherman's extensive experience with Latin America, he has collaborated with heads of state, heads of government, multilateral institutions, and business and humanitarian leaders on fashioning programs to provide civil society and the private sector with direct input during multilateral meetings. He worked in Paris as part of the campaign team for a Latin American Candidate for Director General of UNESCO.

Mr. Featherman was President of a Washington, DC-based NGO and promoted economic development programs throughout the Western Hemisphere. He also served as President of a U.S. affiliate of one of Mexico's largest government-owned engineering companies in which he handled sales and marketing in the U.S. and Canada. Mr. Featherman was also in complete charge of the establishment of a manufacturing and administrative facility in Queretaro Mexico on behalf of a U.S.-headquartered corporation. He has organized major international programs in collaboration with and/or under the auspices of the Governments of Barbados, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Jamaica, and the United States of America. He concluded Cooperative Agreements with the Organization of American States, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the Andean Parliament. He assisted in the organization of Muhammad Yunus' historic visits to Cuenca, Quito, and Guayaquil, Ecuador and to Lima, Peru.

As a Member of the International Advisory Board of the Global Center for Development and Democracy, Mr. Featherman participated in meetings in Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and the United Kingdom with regional heads of State, Government, Business and Political Leaders.

Mr. Featherman helped administer the International Leadership Programme for the United Nations University (UNU) in Amman, Jordan. He co-led United Nations University delegations to Cyprus for meetings with Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot representatives. He also co-led a UNU delegation to Turkey and moderated discussions in Amman with Dr. Boutros Boutros Ghali, Oscar Arias, Shimon Peres and many other present and former World Leaders.

In 1997 an International Committee Chaired by Her Majesty Queen Noor, selected him to be part of the Inaugural Program of the International Leadership Academy. He participated in the leadership training program at the United Nations University International Leadership Academy in Amman, Jordan and traveled with UNU delegations for meetings with His Majesty King Hussein, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Egyptian Foreign Minister Amir Moussa, and many other international leaders.

Education / Affliations / Awards

Mr. Featherman is the 2010 recipient of the GRAVITAS Award. The annual award was established in 2007 by Gravitas Capital Advisors, Inc. to recognize individuals of outstanding achievement whose work and activities have impacted and improved the lives of people around the world. Gravitas presented the award to Mr. Featherman at the Annual GRAVITAS Award Dinner on October 12, 2010 at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace building in Washington, DC.

Mr. Featherman served as a Member of the Obama National Leadership Council, and has extensive contacts and experience in Washington, DC and Latin America. He serves as a Member of the National Advisory Committee of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa Magna Cum Laude in three years with a B.A. degree in political science from Temple University, and received his Juris Doctorate, where he was a Member of the Law Review, from American University Washington College of Law. Mr. Featherman holds a Master's Degree in Inter-American Law (thesis published in the 1991 issue of the Yearbook of International Law) from the University of Miami. He is a member of the Bars of Florida, the District of Columbia, and Pennsylvania. Mr. Featherman is fluent in Spanish. He is active with numerous civic, volunteer and charitable organizations.