“Growing up, I thought everyone’s grandparents spoke the way mine did – with an Irish brogue,” said Kerins, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Bayer U.S. “My love and respect for the Irish culture – its people, personality and perseverance – started at a young age.”

Kerins, who previously held senior executive positions at Merck and Pfizer, embraced a Catholic education from grammar school through Iona College. From his father, a retired Bronx homicide detective, Kerins learned about the importance of loyalty, love, and friendship – traits Kerins and his wife, who is his college sweetheart, share with their three children.

When Kerins is not spending time with his family, serving others is among his top priorities. “My former fire chief would always say that the world is run by people who show up.”

Kerins is a long-standing member of the Center for Disease Control & Prevention Roundtable on Global Health Threats. He is an executive committee board member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and is Chairman of the Chamber’s Global Innovation Policy Center, as well as a board member of the Congressional Award, the only charity of the U.S. Congress. Finally, he is Chairman of KidsBFF (Kids Building For the Future), a Kerins family charity focused on helping under-served youth.

He holds a bachelor of arts and masters of science from Iona College. ♦