Roche Diagnostics Names New Leadership for North America
Tiffany P. Olson Selected to Lead Roche Diagnostics Corporation

Roche Diagnostics today announced the appointment of Tiffany P. Olson as its new Head of North America for Roche Diagnostics, and President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Roche Diagnostics Corporation of Indianapolis, Ind. Olson will begin her responsibilities, effective June 1, 2005.

"I am pleased that Tiffany will be leading Roche Diagnostics in North America. Her experience in the United States, as well as her more recent experience in Global Market Development, has given her a broad perspective of both the commercial and regulatory aspects of our business worldwide." said Heino von Prondzynski, CEO Division Roche Diagnostics and Member of the Executive Committee. "We're looking forward to having her lead our North American region as we continue advancing the practice of medicine through innovative diagnostics and life sciences."

Olson has 23 years of professional healthcare experience. In her current assignment, she is responsible for leading Global Market Development for the Roche Diagnostics Division of Basel, Switzerland. Her prior responsibilities at Roche Diagnostics include Vice President of Molecular Diagnostics, with responsibilities for sales, marketing, and support for Roche's Molecular Diagnostics products in the U.S. She also served as Vice President of Corporate Accounts, and Business Development Manager for Roche Diagnostics Corporation (USA) of Indianapolis, Ind.

"I am honored to accept this leadership role for Roche Diagnostics. I am looking forward to working with the people in the North American region who I believe are the best and brightest in the diagnostics industry." said Olson. "We have many possibilities to explore, and we will continue our mission of innovating health information, which will result in transforming the way people are diagnosed and treated."

Prior to joining Roche in 1997, Olson was the owner of Resource Consulting Services, a healthcare market research and new venture project management business. She spent a number of years in leading positions with other healthcare providers.

Olson earned her bachelor of science degree from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn., and a master's degree in business administration from St. Thomas University, St. Paul, Minn.

About Roche and the Roche Diagnostics Division
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading research-intensive healthcare groups. Its core businesses are pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people's health and quality of life. Roche is a world leader in Diagnostics, the leading supplier of medicines for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology. In 2004, the Pharmaceuticals Division generated 21.7 billion Swiss francs in prescription drug sales, while the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 7.8 billion Swiss francs. Roche employs roughly 65,000 people in 150 countries and has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Roche's Diagnostics Division, with a uniquely broad product portfolio, supplies a wide array of innovative testing products and services to researchers, physicians, patients, hospitals and laboratories world-wide.

Roche Diagnostics' North American headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Ind. (www.roche-diagnostics.us). For further information, please visit our websites www.roche.us and www.roche-diagnostics.com.


For more information please contact: