ORANGE COUNTY

A. Robert Abboud, a former president and chief operating officer of Occidental Petroleum Corp., has been elected to the board of directors of ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc., a Costa Mesa drug maker.

Since 1984, when he left Occidental, Abboud has been president of A. Robert Abboud and Co., an investment company specializing in mergers, acquisitions, corporate restructurings and leveraged buyouts.

Before joining Occidental, Abboud was chairman and chief executive officer at both First Chicago Corp. and the First National Bank of Chicago.

A native of Boston, Abboud holds degrees from Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School. He serves on the boards of Hartmarx Corp., Inland Steel Co., Washington Bancorporation, and A.A.R. Corp.

Milan Panic, chairman and president ICN, said: “Robert Abboud has an impressive background, making him a uniquely qualified board member. We are very pleased to have his guidance at ICN.”