CEO and chairman, 7/2006 - 12/2010 A star litigator, Kindler came to Pfizer as general counsel, than prevailed in a brutal three-way competition to succeed Hank McKinnell as CEO. A rare outsider at Pfizer's helm, he was charged with instilling new thinking at the company. Kindler made a giant acquisition and reorganized research. But his style and temperament led members of his own team to rebel. With two senior executives threatening to leave, he stepped down in December 2010.
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By Peter Elkind and Jennifer Reingold with Doris Burke - Last updated July 28 2011: 5:47 AM ET