When one considers what’s the worst bad thing that could happen to a drug company, it would have to be something along the lines of the news that Baxter International Inc (NYSE: BAX) received from the Food and Drug Administrate (FDA).

On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the FDA found a contaminant in the company’s blood-thinning drug heparin, which is widely prescribed.

“Baxter, which provides about half the nation's supply, halted production last month after its brand was linked to hundreds of reports of allergic-style reactions, including vomiting, nausea and difficulty breathing,” The Journal article reported.

This means that Baxter CEO/Chairman Robert L Parkinson Jr is faced with an enormous crisis that must be handled effectively in order to ensure the company’s long-term reputation and financial viability.

NewsVisual created an IntellectSpace Knowledge Map that illustrates Mr Parkinson’s professional experience as a method for determining whether he can steer the company on the right course.

The Map shows that Mr Parkinson is not a novice to the industry, having served as in several high-level executive positions for Abbott Laboratories Inc.  He also served as a member of the Board of Directors for two other pharmaceutical companies, namely Enzon Pharmaceuticals Inc and GeneProt Inc.

In addition, Mr Parkinson also served as the Dean of Loyola University Graduate School of Business.

However, despite this excellent resume, he will now be called upon to make the most crucial decisions of his business career.

Click here for an interactive and fuller version of this IntellectSpace Knowledge Map.

(Note: the information contained and presented in Knowledge Maps is public information from the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States of America).