John M. O'Brien, PharmD, MPH, is President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Pharmaceutical Council, a 71-year-old health policy research organization in Washington, DC. NPC serves patients and society with policy-relevant research on the value of patient access to innovative medicines and the importance of scientific advancement. We envision a world where advances in medicine are accessible to patients, valued by society, and sustainably reimbursed by payers to ensure continued innovation. Dr. O’Brien’s experience spanning the private sector, academia, and government gives him a unique perspective on the business risk of public policy. Prior to joining NPC, he was senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and deputy assistant secretary of planning and evaluation (health policy) during the previous Trump administration. He has also held senior roles in the life sciences and managed care industries, was a career official at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and served as a health policy fellow in the U.S. Senate. Dr. O’Brien earned his doctorate in pharmacy at Nova Southeastern University, his master’s degree in public health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, studied pharmacy and public policy at the University of Florida, and is a graduate of the AHIP-Kellogg Certified Health Insurance Executive program. He has held a number of academic appointments, including senior fellow at the USC-Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, clinical assistant professor at the Rutgers Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship program, and assistant professor of clinical and administrative sciences at the Notre Dame of Maryland University College of Pharmacy, the first program of its kind created by a U.S. women’s college. Dr. O’Brien has served on the boards of Pharmacy Quality Solutions, Kennedy Center Circles, and the Congressional Chorus and is an instrument-rated private pilot.