Carla Harris (left), vice chairman, global wealth management and senior client advisor at Morgan Stanley, and Cedric Richmond (right), senior advisor to President Biden and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.

ARLINGTON, Va. — NACDS announced that Carla Harris, vice chairman, global wealth management and senior client advisor at Morgan Stanley and Cedric Richmond, senior advisor to President Biden and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, will be the featured speakers during the Business Program on Wednesday, April 28 – the third and final day of the virtual 2021 NACDS Annual Meeting.

As previously released, Scott Gottlieb, M.D., commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 2017-2019, and Jon Meacham, presidential historian and author, also will speak during the virtual event’s Business Program on Monday, April 26, and Tuesday, April 27, respectively.

In her current role at Morgan Stanley, Carla Harris is responsible for increasing client connectivity and penetration to enhance revenue generation. Throughout her 30-year career, Harris has gained extensive industry experiences in the technology, media, retail, telecommunications, transportation, industrial and healthcare sectors.

Chair of the Morgan Stanley Foundation from 2005 to 2014, Harris sits on the boards of several community organizations. In August 2013, Harris was appointed by President Barack Obama to chair the National Women’s Business Council.

Harris’ accomplishments and recognitions are numerous. Of note, Harris was named to Fortune magazine’s list of “The 50 Most Powerful Black Executives in Corporate America;” Fortune’s Most Influential List; U.S. Banker’s Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance (2009, 2010, 2011); Black Enterprise’s “Top 75 Most Powerful Women in Business” (2017) and “Top 75 African Americans on Wall Street;” and Essence magazine’s list of “The 50 Women Who are Shaping the World” – among various other renowned acknowledgements and awards.

Cedric Richmond currently serves as an advisor to the President and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, a unit of the White House Office which is responsible for creating and coordinating direct dialogue between the Biden-Harris Administration and the diverse American public.

A member of the Democratic Party, Richmond was the U.S. Representative for Louisiana’s 2nd congressional district from 2011-2021 after serving as one of the youngest legislators in the Louisiana State Assembly when he was elected shortly after his 27^th birthday.

During his time as a Louisiana State Representative for the 101st district (New Orleans) from 2000-2011, Richmond worked in a bipartisan fashion to deliver results to his constituents – including long-term federal relief from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters.

From 2017-2019, Richmond led the Congressional Black Caucus. Beginning with his third term, he was the only Louisiana Democrat serving in either chamber of Congress.

In 2019, Richmond was named the first national co-chairman of the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign, and on September 5, 2020, he was named a co-chair of Biden’s presidential transition. On November 17, 2020, Richmond announced he would leave Congress in January 2021 to start his new, appointed role in the Biden-Harris Administration.

“We are thrilled to welcome Carla Harris and Cedric Richmond to this year’s virtual NACDS Annual Meeting and to hear their perspectives on the COVID-19 pandemic and pharmacies’ critical role in the ongoing effort,” said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson. “Carla Harris will share insights from her experience in leadership and business roles throughout her impressive career, and we look forward to hearing from Congressman Richmond – a senior advisor to President Biden who has worked at the local, state and national levels to communicate directly with the American public about key issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. NACDS is excited to ‘virtually’ welcome NACDS chain and associate members in just a few short days on Monday, April 26.”

Key speakers during this year’s virtual event also include Rick Keyes, president and CEO, Meijer, Inc., and NACDS chair; Colleen Lindholz, president, Kroger Health, The Kroger Co., and NACDS vice chair and treasurer; Lisa Paley, general manager, U.S. and Puerto Rico, GSK Consumer Healthcare; and Michael Sneed, executive vice president, global corporate affairs & chief communication officer, Johnson & Johnson.

In addition, the 2021 virtual event will feature Steven C. Anderson, president and CEO, NACDS, and Larry J. Merlo, president and CEO (2011-2021), CVS Health, who will receive the 2021 Sheldon W. Fantle Lifetime Achievement Award – the industry’s highest honor.

The 2021 NACDS Annual Meeting will continue with its tradition of featuring opportunities for essential top-to-top meetings between companies; recognition for NACDS members’ service to their communities and nation; an intentional focus on expanded participation by NACDS member company staff teams; and a compelling platform from which to tell the pharmacy industry’s story publicly.

NACDS invites all chain and associate members to register and attend the virtual 2021 NACDS Annual Meeting, to be held April 26-28.

For additional information about this year’s event, contact Jim Whitman, NACDS’ senior vice president of member programs and services, at (703) 837-4610 or visit the 2021 NACDS Annual Meeting frequently-asked-questions.