Rider alumnus Carlos Dortrait ’00 elected chair of Board of Trustees

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Carlos Dortrait ’00 has been elected chair of Rider University’s Board of Trustees, joining vice chairs Michele Powers ’84 and Jim Bush ’80 in leading the Board over the coming year.

Since joining in 2022, Dortrait has been a thoughtful and tireless advocate for Rider’s mission, bringing strategic insight, business acumen and an unwavering commitment to student success. As chair, he will oversee a new Board committee structure focused on the student experience. From recruitment and retention to long-term financial sustainability, his leadership will help guide Rider’s continued growth and success.

“Carlos exemplifies the potential created by the Rider experience. We both share a passion for student transformation, experiential learning, community and preparing students to make both a living and a life post graduation. I look forward to working closely with him in his new role,” says President John R. Loyack, CPA, MBA.

Dortrait is the senior vice president, Neuroscience Commercialization and Global Commercial Strategy, at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), a leading biopharmaceutical company. In this role, he helps define strategy and drive innovation for medicines that address some of the most complex neurological and psychiatric conditions affecting patients worldwide. One of the most prominent Latino executives in the biopharma industry, he brings a perspective grounded in the transformative power of education, opportunity and service.

Prior to BMS, Dortrait spent more than 20 years at Johnson & Johnson, where he held multiple leadership positions with a focus on specialized therapeutic areas including rare diseases, immunology and neuroscience.

“My parents immigrated to this country and made extraordinary sacrifices so that I could have opportunities they never did. Education was everything in our household and Rider is where that value became a reality,” says Dortrait. “This university gave me the foundation to build a career defined by purpose and impact.”

“It is a privilege to serve as chair of Rider University’s Board of Trustees and to work alongside my fellow trustees, President Loyack and the entire Rider community to ensure every student who walks through Rider’s doors has the opportunity to be challenged, supported and transformed by this remarkable institution.”

Dortrait earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a major in Human Resource Management, from the University and later completed the Stanford Executive Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He and his wife, Dr. Maritza Rodriguez-Dortrait, also a proud Rider graduate and former member of the women’s basketball team, remain actively engaged alumni, supporting a variety of initiatives that expand opportunities for students and strengthen Rider’s future.