Is Ringo Kindler's dealmaker?

William Ringo has one heck of a job ahead of him as Pfizer's new deal guy.

The longtime Eli Lilly and Co. executive and former CEO of biotech Abgenix Inc. joins the pharma giant as CEO Jeffrey Kindler comes under fire for his inability to turn the company around.

Kindler is the focus of a highly critical report in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal, which highlights many of the bold statements he's made since taking over in 2006. As the WSJ reports, Kindler vowed to, among other things, "transform virtually every aspect of how we do business."

By most any measure, that hasn't happened. Pfizer's stock price has remained sickly, and there doesn't appear to be any powerhouse drug in the pipeline to replace the expiring blockbuster Lipitor.Kindler, whose lack of pharma experience could be partly to blame for his sluggish start, is surely banking on Ringo's experience to kick-start a turnaround. Ringo spent nearly 30 years with Eli Lilly, where he held a variety of commercial and product marketing positions.

With so much on the line and the pressure mounting, it will be fascinating to see what Ringo and Kindler will do next.

- Suzanne Stevens
The Deal