A handful of people mill around a conference room at Baxter International's headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois, sugaring their coffee or shaking hands in greeting. Windows look out on Interstate 94 as morning commuters pick their way down the Edens Expressway into Chicago. Norbert Riedel, the company's chief scientific officer, smiles as he strides into the room. "Share price yesterday gained 80 cents, which is a good sign," Riedel tells his staff.
It's the morning after Baxter's investor conference in March of this year, and by the look on Riedel's face, it went well. Everyone sits down for Riedel's regular senior staff meeting, which includes the heads of R&D and regulatory affairs, and representatives from finance, human resources, and communications. A number of items are on the agenda, including a presentation on ethics and compliance, and a finance update, but they also spend about 20 minutes talking about the conference.
Such ...
