Global pharmaceutical company Cencora, Inc. recently announced the appointment of Pawan Verma as Executive Vice President and Chief Data and Information Officer, marking a key addition to the company’s enterprise leadership team. Cencora, which rebranded from AmerisourceBergen in August 2023, is a Fortune 10 company with over $250 billion in annual revenue. Verma’s extensive background in digital transformation and innovation is expected to play an essential role in advancing Cencora’s technology strategy, modernizing its digital infrastructure and optimizing operations to enhance customer and employee experiences.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Pawan to Cencora’s leadership team,” said Bob Mauch, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cencora. “Our evolved leadership structure, which is now a combination of internally developed talent and new outside expertise, will enable us to further build on our already strong position in the marketplace, while advancing our strategy with a focus on delivering exceptional customer service, accelerating our digital transformation, and prioritizing investments that allow us to better support our customers’ evolving needs.”
In his role, Verma will lead Cencora’s digital transformation initiatives, focusing on data-driven innovation to improve operations and foster an environment of continuous technological progress. His responsibilities include upgrading Cencora’s technology infrastructure, driving data-driven decision-making and enhancing the digital experience for Cencora’s global network of customers and employees. Verma’s leadership will be central to positioning Cencora as a technology-forward company, aligned with its mission to create healthier futures by ensuring access to pharmaceuticals and healthcare products worldwide.
Verma joins Cencora from MetLife, where he served as Executive Vice President and Global Chief Information Officer, leading a team of 10,000 through significant digital transformation initiatives aimed at creating a distinctive digital experience. Also a former Global Chief Information and Customer Experience Officer at FootLocker, Verma also focused on customer experience enhancements and innovations at MetLife. During his time at Foot Locker, he oversaw a 4,000-member team to revamp technology, data and supply chain ecosystems, earning him the Forbes CIO Innovation Award.
With additional experience in senior roles at Target, Convergys Corporation, and Verizon, Verma brings a wealth of knowledge in digital transformation and operational efficiency. His expertise in integrating advanced digital tools to elevate business performance will support Cencora’s objectives in the pharmaceutical sector.
At Cencora, Verma’s leadership is expected to drive the company’s digital roadmap forward, reinforcing Cencora’s focus on innovation and efficiency as it scales its impact. By implementing sophisticated data and digital tools, Verma aims to build a strong foundation for Cencora’s continued growth, improve productivity, enhance customer engagement and help solidify Cencora’s position as an industry leader. As Cencora expands its pharmaceutical-centric strategy under the new brand, Verma’s role will be pivotal in achieving the company’s vision of a globally connected and digitally advanced healthcare future.
Peter High is President of Metis Strategy, a business and IT advisory firm. He has written three bestselling books, including his latest Getting to Nimble. He also moderates the Technovation podcast series and speaks at conferences around the world. Follow him on Twitter @PeterAHigh.