Robert J. Coury is the executive chairman of Viatris. He leads the board of directors, oversees the strategic direction of the company in collaboration with executive management, and advises the management team as they execute on the company’s strategy to drive value creation, while also ensuring robust board engagement with shareholders and other key stakeholders, among other responsibilities.
Coury most recently served as executive chairman of Mylan, where his strategic vision and tactical judgment led to the creation of a strong foundation for Viatris. Under Coury’s leadership at Mylan, the company went from being the third-largest generics pharmaceutical company in the U.S. to one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, earning spots in both the S&P 500 and, prior to the company’s reincorporation outside of the U.S. in 2015, the Fortune 500.
During his time with Mylan, Coury led the company through a significant period of organic growth as well as a series of transactions totaling approximately $25 billion since 2007, transforming Mylan into a global powerhouse in the highly competitive pharmaceutical industry. This period of expansion resulted in his final transaction with Mylan, the completion of the approximately $27 billion combination with Pfizer’s Upjohn business to create Viatris, a new and distinctive global pharmaceutical player designed to deliver more efficient access to high quality medications for patients and healthcare systems around the world.
Coury was first elected to Mylan’s board of directors in February 2002, having served since 1995 as a strategic adviser to the company. He became the board’s vice chairman shortly after his election and served as chief executive officer from September 2002 until January 2012. He then served as executive chairman from 2012 until he became chairman in June 2016. The Mylan board reappointed Coury as executive chairman in April 2020.
Coury is the founder and president of the Robert J. Coury Family Foundation, which is a private foundation formed to help support his philanthropic efforts and his mission of giving back. He has served as a member of the University of Southern California President's Leadership Council since 2014.