WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark Corp. has unveiled a succession plan for the leadership of its pharmacy benefit management (PBM) business.
The company said Friday that Jon Roberts, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Caremark Pharmacy Services, will take the title of president, currently held by Per Lofberg, as of Sept. 1.
Roberts, 56, will take over the day-to-day oversight of the PBM segment, including sales and account management and operations, CVS said.
CVS noted that during its analyst conference in December, Lofberg had declared his intention to extend his employment agreement with the company through December 2013.
With Roberts’ elevation to president, plans call for Lofberg to focus on driving the PBM unit’s strategy, developing new business, and managing and retaining client relationships, serving "effectively as the chairman of the PBM," according to CVS.
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Per Lofberg |
In the new roles, Roberts will continue to report to Lofberg, and Lofberg will continue to report to Larry Merlo, president and chief executive officer of CVS Caremark.
"Jon is the right leader to build on the tremendous foundation that Per Lofberg has created for long-term success," Merlo said in a statement. "Jon is a results-driven leader, whose analytical approach has served him well in the variety of roles he has held over his 20-year tenure with CVS Caremark. His broad base of pharmacy experience will further our mission to continualy improve how we do business and look for ways to do it better, more efficiently and at a lower cost."
A pharmacist by training, Roberts has more than 30 years of pharmacy health care experience, including 21 years at CVS.
Roberts has held the position of executive vice president and COO of Caremark Pharmacy Services since 2010. He previously was responsible for pharmaceutical purchasing, pricing and network relations.
During his earlier tenure as CVS’ chief information officer, Roberts led RxConnect, which boosted the company’s retail pharmacy performance. He also logged more than 14 years in the company’s retail business, serving in a variety of management roles including senior vice president of retail operations.
Merlo added, "As president and CEO, I am grateful to both Per and Jon for their partnership as we work together to position Caremark Pharmacy Services for continued long-term success."
