In 1983, Henri Termeer became president of Genzyme Corporation. Termeer was previously a senior executive Baxter. Serving as Genzyme’s chair, president, and CEO from 1983 until 2011, Termeer nurtured the company from a startup with fewer than 20 employees into one of the world’s largest biotech companies, employing more than 12,500 people worldwide.

Genzyme was founded in the Chinatown section of Boston, Mass. In 2011, Sanofi-aventis acquired Genzyme for $74 a share in cash or $21.1 billion.