Frequently Asked Questions
Financial/Shareholder Information
Q: On which exchange is Genzyme listed and what is the ticker symbol?
A: Genzyme is quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol GENZ.
Q: In what year did Genzyme go public?
A: Genzyme began trading on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol GENZ on June 5, 1986.
Q: Who do I contact regarding lost stock certificates, address changes, and changes of ownership or name in which shares are held?
A: Please contact Genzyme's transfer agent, American Stock Transfer and Trust Company,
59 Maiden Lane, New York, New York, 10038
Tel: 212-936-5100.
Q: Can I purchase stock directly from Genzyme?
A: Genzyme does not have a direct purchase program. You must purchase stock through your broker.
Q: What is the history of Genzyme's stock splits?
A: Genzyme completed a 2:1 stock split on July 25, 1996 and on June 1, 2001.
Q: Does Genzyme have a share repurchase program?
A: On May 6, 2010, Genzyme announced it will initiate a $2 billion stock buyback, under which $1 billion of stock will be repurchased in the near term and financed with debt. The additional $1 billion of stock will be repurchased during the next 12 months.
On June 18, Genzyme announced it entered into an agreement with Goldman, Sachs & Co. to repurchase $1 billion of Genzyme common stock under an accelerated stock repurchase program. Under the agreement, Genzyme paid $1 billion to Goldman, Sachs & Co. on June 22, 2010 and received approximately 15.5 million shares, currently estimated to be approximately 80 percent of the shares to be repurchased based on the closing share price on June 17, 2010.
Q: What is Genzyme's policy on dividends and dividend reinvestment plans?
A: Genzyme has never paid any cash dividends on our common stock and we do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future and will subsequently not propose a dividend reinvestment plan. Genzyme believes in reinvesting in research & development, the key driver of future growth for the company.
Q: Does Genzyme have significant debt?
A: On June 17, 2010, Genzyme issued $500 million aggregate principal amount of 3.625% senior notes due 2015 and $500 million aggregate principal amount of 5.0% senior notes due 2020.
Q: Who are Genzyme's independent auditors?
A: PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP.
Q: I was a limited partner of Genzyme Development Partners. Whom do I contact with questions?
A: Please contact our shareholder relations department at 617-768-6686.
Corporate Governance Information
Q: Where can I get information on Genzyme’s Corporate Governance practices?
A: Please visit the following section of our website to read our corporate governance guidelines: http://www.genzyme.com/corp/investors/governance_home.asp. For additional questions regarding corporate governance at Genzyme, please contact Patrick Flanigan; Senior Director, Investor Relations via email. Please use this email for legitimate business inquiries. Solicitations of any kind will be ignored.
Q: Does Genzyme have a disclosure committee?
A: Yes. In November 2002, Genzyme established a disclosure committee.
Q: How can I contact Genzyme’s Board of Directors?
A: You can contact our Board of Directors via email through Genzyme's website. Please visit: http://www.genzyme.com/corp/investors/contact_the_board.asp. Please use this email to contact the Board of Directors for legitimate business inquiries. Solicitations of any kind will be ignored.
Q: Does Genzyme have an auditor independence policy?
A: Yes. Genzyme Corporation adopted an auditor independence policy in June of 2002. Under this policy, Genzyme may only retain its independent auditors for audit and audit-related services. All other consulting services are prohibited.
Q: How many members of Genzyme’s board of directors are independent under SEC standards?
A: Genzyme's board of directors consists of thirteen individuals with broad experience in business, medicine and health care, the biotech industry, manufacturing and operations and public policy. Twelve of the directors are fully independent by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and NASDAQ standards. Only CEO Henri Termeer is not independent.
Q: Is the chair of Genzyme’s audit committee independent?
A: Yes. The audit committee is led by Robert Bertolini, former EVP and CFO of Schering-Plough Corp. Prior to joining Schering-Plough, Mr. Bertolini spent 20 years at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, where he held positions of increasing responsibility, ultimately leading the global pharmaceutical industry practice. Mr. Bertolini is considered to be both a financial expert and an independent board member under NASDAQ and SEC definitions, fulfilling the corporate governance requirements for an audit committee chair. Like Mr. Bertolini, all members of the audit committee are fully independent by SEC and NASDAQ standards.
Corporate Information
Q: Where is Genzyme's headquarters?
A: Genzyme is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Our mailing address is:
500 Kendall Street, Cambridge, MA 02142
Tel: 617-252-7500
Q: When was Genzyme founded?
A: Genzyme was founded in 1981.
Q: Where is Genzyme incorporated?
A: Genzyme is incorporated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Q: How many employees does Genzyme have?
A: Genzyme has more than 12,000 employees worldwide.
Q: Who do I contact regarding charitable or corporate giving requests?
A: Please visit our website at www.genzymegrants.com.
Last Updated: 6/24/10
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