Stories and Viewpoints

Peter Yoo has looked at health care from many different angles: a pharmacist by training, he has worked within the pharmaceutical industry on quality assurance as well as the regulatory, medical and commercial aspects of the business.

But fundamentally, he carries the identity of a health care professional, and patients are always top of mind: do they have access? Are vulnerable populations going to get the help they need? Will they be safe?

One particularly influential experience was working as a therapeutic group manager for the Pharmaceutical Management Agency, better known as Pharmac, which is the government agency that publicly funds medicines in New Zealand, where he lives. In that role, Peter had to work with like-minded colleagues to provide the greatest value to the population. And working at Pharmac during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic helped him appreciate the necessity of patient access even more. At his core, he has a keen sense of responsibility for the patients he serves.

Peter Yoo

“People shouldn’t have to think about buying groceries versus buying medicine,” he said. “People don’t ask to be sick. I will always carry that with me.”

In mid-2021, he joined Viatris as a portfolio development and pricing manager. While he was glad to return to his hometown of Auckland and be closer to friends and family, he also felt the company aligned with his values of prioritizing patients. As part of his role, he is building a portfolio in New Zealand that is future focused, strategically tailored toward the country’s health care needs.

“I really liked the fact that Viatris positioned itself as a company aiming toward the future of what health care should look like,” Peter said. “Those things resonated a lot with me. I knew this company was what it said it was. I could trust that I would really enjoy working here.”

He was proud to see his team’s work ethic and determination to meet challenges, striving to market medication ensuring that more people, regardless of income or circumstances, could access it.

“I want to be part of that ship that’s sailing toward the future,” he said. “The company has a real focus on where health care should be. It’s proactive, not reactive.”