James Headen Pfitzer joined Viatris as Senior Director Global Policy, Corporate Affairs in Geneva in September 2022. Prior to that, James spent five years leading the access to NCD treatments and health systems strengthening initiatives at IFPMA. Before that James spent ten years at the World Health Organization (WHO) Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, where he handled strategy, engagement and policy for the Assistant Director Generals of Health Systems and Innovation and Global Health Security. James also worked to implement capacity building activities at country and community levels, on AMR national action plan development and coordination and was appointed by the WHO Director General as the health advisor in the UN Secretary General’s Office in New York for the Post-2015 Development Agenda and adoption of the SDGs, particularly SDG 3.
Prior to joining WHO, James was a Legal Officer at the WTO in Geneva, Switzerland. James has written publications including analyses of the WTO dispute settlement system and potential reform with focus on burden of proof and standard of proof issues as well as those related to transparency and public participation. James is an American trained lawyer with an LLM in trade and development and holds a PhD in international law with a focus on legal due process protections and global policy from the University of Bern, Switzerland.