The North-West University (NWU) bestowed an honorary doctorate on internationally renowned pharmaceutical business leader and NWU alumnus Jannie Oosthuizen on Friday, 2 August.
Mr Oosthuizen is recognised for his exceptional contributions to and significant standing in the international health sector, where he is considered a key role player.
“This is an unbelievable honour that the NWU and its Council have bestowed on me. The work I have done over the last three decades and the opportunity I had to make a difference in the lives of communities and patients around the world really came together in this recognition. I am forever grateful to the university,” he says.
Known for his insights into and knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, he is frequently quoted in the media and invited to serve on panels as an expert speaker. His expertise spans the pharmaceutical product pipeline and targets, health economics, value evidence and support, and innovative reward systems. He is also deeply committed to conserving the environment.
Mr Oosthuizen has spearheaded various initiatives in support of young researchers, motivating them to discover the limitless possibilities of organic chemistry.
At the pinnacle of an exceptional career
His career in the industry spans three decades of excellence at various pharmaceutical companies. Since 2022, Mr Oosthuizen has been the president of MSD Human Health in the United States, the largest business globally for MSD, a leading research-intensive biopharmaceutical company. He also represents global human health on the MSD executive team as an executive officer of the company.
Mr Oosthuizen is highly influential from a governance and policy perspective, spending significant time on price and reimbursement policy with governments to ensure environments that support and reward innovation.
His visionary leadership was instrumental in the successful launch of Keytruda®, a cancer immunotherapy and MSD’s top-selling product (generating $25 billion in revenue in 2023 and reaching over two million people worldwide to date).
From here to global acclaim
Mr Oosthuizen, a former resident of Hombré men's residence, graduated from the former Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education with a BPharm degree in 1991.
He initially joined the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly as a sales representative in 1993.
Early in his career, he acknowledged the value of community engagement and was part of a team that partnered with You Are Not Alone (YANA), an organisation in Pretoria, to establish halfway houses for people living with schizophrenia.
On the strength of his work ethic, diligence and ability to work with people, his role was expanded to that of global marketing associate at the Lilly corporate headquarters in Indianapolis, United States in 1998. He was appointed vice-president and regional president for Lilly Asia Operations in 2012.
In this position, he focused strongly on diversity and inclusion, organisational culture enhancement and maximising the human factor in his teams.
His impact was so substantial in South Korea that his workplace modernisation drive there was covered in the Joong-Ang Daily, sister paper of the New York Times, as an example of great leadership and organisational culture change. He managed to change organisational policy to allow same-sex couples to receive the same benefits as heterosexual couples, building the company’s reputation as an inclusive employer known for attracting great talent.
More about MSD
MSD uses leading-edge science to save and improve the lives of people across the globe. The company is at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. MSD is known as Merck in the United States and Canada.
This company employs around 70 000 staff members in more than 100 countries. MSD has developed various vaccines, immunotherapies, and HIV and cancer medications.
Equipped for an impactful career
Mr Oosthuizen has words of wisdom for prospective pharmaceutical students. “When you study at the NWU you are definitely going to get an education, but you are also going to get a perspective. To be a student that leaves with an academic qualification is one thing, but to be a citizen who makes an impact not only in this country but in the world, is quite another challenge. But I think you will find that this university will equip you for that journey. It certainly has equipped me. That is what we need, we need people who go out into the world to make a difference and contribute to society and fulfil the mission that you are going to craft during your years at the university.”
Click here to view the graduation ceremony.
Mr Jannie Oosthuizen receives his honorary doctorate during the graduation ceremony on 2 August. Prof Michael Temane, deputy registrar, hoods him with Prof Bismark Tyobeka, principal and vice-chancellor looking on.
Mr Jannie Oosthuizen and his wife, Ilze.
