Bob Mauch

Bob Mauch
Born	Robert P. Mauch
Nationality	American
Occupation	Corporate executive, pharmacist
Title	President and Chief Executive Officer, Cencora, Inc.
Known for	President and CEO of Cencora, Inc. (formerly AmerisourceBergen)
Education	PharmD, PhD

Robert P. Mauch, PharmD, PhD, is an American corporate executive and pharmacist who serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Cencora, Inc. (NYSE: COR), one of the largest pharmaceutical distribution companies in the United States. Formerly known as AmerisourceBergen, Cencora is a Fortune 500 company that plays a central role in the pharmaceutical supply chain, distributing drugs to pharmacies, hospitals, and healthcare providers across the United States and internationally. Mauch assumed the role of President and CEO in October 2024, succeeding longtime chief executive Steven H. Collis, who transitioned to the role of executive chairman. Prior to becoming CEO, Mauch served as Cencora's Chief Operating Officer, where he oversaw the company's pharmaceutical distribution operations and strategic initiatives. A trained pharmacist with both a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Mauch has spent much of his career in the pharmaceutical distribution industry, rising through various leadership positions within the company. His appointment to the top executive role reflected the company's emphasis on continuity of leadership and operational expertise during a period of significant transformation in the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Education

Robert P. Mauch holds advanced academic credentials in the pharmaceutical sciences. He earned a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). His dual doctoral-level education in pharmacy distinguishes him among pharmaceutical industry executives and reflects a deep academic grounding in the science and practice of pharmacy, which has informed his approach to leading one of the nation's largest drug distribution enterprises. His academic background has been cited in professional profiles as underpinning his understanding of the pharmaceutical products and healthcare systems that Cencora serves.

Career

Rise within Cencora

Before becoming CEO, Mauch held the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Cencora, Inc. In this capacity, he was responsible for overseeing the company's core pharmaceutical distribution operations, which encompass one of the largest networks of drug distribution centers in the United States. The COO role placed Mauch at the center of the company's day-to-day operations and strategic planning, providing him with direct oversight of the infrastructure, logistics, and partnerships that form the backbone of Cencora's business model.

Cencora, which operated under the name AmerisourceBergen until its rebranding in 2023, is one of the "Big Three" pharmaceutical distributors in the United States, alongside McKesson and Cardinal Health. The company distributes branded and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, and home healthcare supplies to a broad range of healthcare providers. Mauch's tenure in the COO role positioned him as the natural successor to Steven Collis, who had served as CEO since 2011.

Appointment as President and CEO

On March 12, 2024, Cencora announced a leadership succession plan under which Mauch would succeed Steven H. Collis as President and Chief Executive Officer. Under the plan, Collis was to transition from the CEO role to the position of executive chairman of Cencora's board of directors, while Mauch would assume the top executive position and also be appointed as a member of the board.

The announcement was reported by multiple news outlets, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, Drug Store News, and citybiz. The Inquirer described Cencora as "among the largest pharmaceutical distributors in the United States" and noted that Mauch had been selected to lead the company through a period of ongoing change in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. Drug Store News characterized the transition as reflecting the company's commitment to leadership continuity, with Collis remaining involved in an executive chairman capacity while Mauch took operational control.

Mauch officially transitioned into the role of President and CEO in October 2024. Upon taking the position, Mauch was described by the Business Roundtable—of which he became a member—as being "focused on building on" the company's existing strategy and furthering its role in the pharmaceutical supply chain.

First Year as CEO

Mauch's first year at the helm of Cencora was marked by a number of significant strategic and operational developments. In an October 2025 interview with Pharmaceutical Executive, Mauch discussed the lessons learned during his initial year as CEO and addressed the complex challenges facing pharmaceutical distribution, including supply chain resilience, regulatory pressures, and the evolving landscape of specialty and biosimilar drugs.

In a December 2025 feature in Modern Healthcare, Mauch spoke about the modernization of pharmaceutical distribution, describing the company's efforts to deliver medicines to patients more efficiently and to introduce innovations that reduce the time required to bring treatments from manufacturers to the point of care. The interview characterized Cencora's evolution as moving "from warehouse to wellness," reflecting the company's expanding role beyond traditional drug warehousing and logistics into areas of patient services and healthcare innovation.

Major Investment and Financial Performance

One of the most significant announcements during Mauch's tenure came in November 2025, when Cencora disclosed plans to invest over $1 billion through 2030 to expand its U.S. drug distribution network. The investment, reported by Reuters, was described as part of the company's strategy to strengthen its infrastructure in response to growing demand for pharmaceutical distribution services and to increase the capacity and efficiency of its facilities across the country.

The billion-dollar investment plan was announced alongside the company's fiscal year 2025 fourth quarter and full-year financial results. According to a Business Wire press release dated November 5, 2025, Cencora reported that revenue in its fiscal year 2025 fourth quarter (ended September 30, 2025) increased 5.9 percent compared to the prior year period. The company also issued an upbeat forecast for fiscal year 2026, signaling confidence in the trajectory of its business under Mauch's leadership.

The combination of strong revenue growth and a forward-looking infrastructure investment plan positioned Cencora as an aggressive competitor in the pharmaceutical distribution sector during the first full fiscal year of Mauch's tenure as CEO. The $1 billion investment, in particular, was notable as a signal of the company's commitment to expanding its physical distribution capabilities at a time when the pharmaceutical industry was grappling with the increasing complexity of drug supply chains, including the growth of specialty pharmaceuticals, cell and gene therapies, and temperature-sensitive biologics.

Industry Context

Mauch assumed the CEO role at a time when the pharmaceutical distribution industry was undergoing significant changes. The three largest U.S. drug distributors—Cencora, McKesson, and Cardinal Health—collectively handle the vast majority of pharmaceutical products distributed in the country. These companies serve as the critical link between drug manufacturers and the pharmacies, hospitals, and health systems that dispense medications to patients.

The industry has faced scrutiny in recent years over its role in the opioid crisis, drug pricing pressures, and the complexities of distributing increasingly specialized therapies. Cencora, under its previous name AmerisourceBergen, was among the distributors that reached settlement agreements related to opioid-related litigation. Mauch's leadership has been characterized in industry media as focused on strengthening the supply chain, investing in technology and infrastructure, and positioning Cencora to handle the next generation of pharmaceutical products, including biosimilars and advanced therapies.

The Pharmaceutical Executive profile of Mauch in October 2025 explored his perspective on "tackling a complex future for pharma distribution," noting his emphasis on operational resilience and adaptability as key priorities. In the Modern Healthcare interview, Mauch described innovations within Cencora's operations aimed at cutting the time it takes to bring treatments to patients, reflecting a broader industry trend toward speed, precision, and patient-centered distribution models.

Professional Affiliations

In October 2024, coinciding with his assumption of the CEO role, Mauch was listed as a member of the Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers of leading American companies. The Business Roundtable profile described him as President and Chief Executive Officer of Cencora, Inc., and noted his academic credentials. Membership in the Business Roundtable places Mauch among a group of CEOs who collectively lead companies with more than 20 million employees and more than $10 trillion in annual revenues, and who participate in policy discussions on economic and business issues at the national level.

Recognition

Mauch's selection as CEO of Cencora was itself a significant professional milestone, given the company's position as one of the largest corporations in the United States by revenue. The succession announcement received coverage in major business and healthcare publications, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, Drug Store News, and citybiz.

His interviews and profiles in Pharmaceutical Executive and Modern Healthcare during 2025 placed him among the most prominent voices in the pharmaceutical distribution industry during that year. The Modern Healthcare feature, published in December 2025, highlighted his leadership in modernizing drug distribution and his focus on patient-centered innovation within the supply chain. The Pharmaceutical Executive profile, published in October 2025, examined his strategic vision during his first year as CEO and his approach to navigating the evolving challenges of the pharmaceutical industry.

The company's strong financial performance under Mauch's leadership—including the 5.9 percent revenue increase in the fiscal 2025 fourth quarter and the announcement of a $1 billion infrastructure investment—further reinforced his standing as a significant figure in the healthcare business landscape.

Legacy

As of the end of fiscal year 2025, Mauch's tenure as CEO of Cencora was still in its early stages, having begun in October 2024. However, several defining elements of his leadership had already taken shape. The announcement of the $1 billion investment in U.S. drug distribution infrastructure through 2030 represented one of the most significant capital commitments in the company's recent history and signaled a long-term strategic direction under Mauch's leadership.

Mauch's approach to leadership, as articulated in his public interviews, has emphasized the evolving role of pharmaceutical distributors beyond simple logistics. His characterization of Cencora's mission as moving "from warehouse to wellness" reflected an industry-wide shift in which distributors increasingly participate in patient services, data analytics, and the management of complex therapy supply chains. His dual doctoral credentials in pharmacy have been noted as providing a distinctive perspective among the leaders of major drug distribution companies, grounding his strategic decisions in a deep understanding of pharmaceutical science and healthcare delivery.

Cencora, headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, remains one of the largest companies in the Philadelphia metropolitan area and one of the most significant players in global pharmaceutical distribution. Mauch's leadership of the company places him at the intersection of healthcare, logistics, and corporate strategy at a pivotal moment for the pharmaceutical industry.