Robert Taketomo, PharmD, MBA

President & CEO, Ventegra

Robert (“Bob”) Taketomo, PharmD, MBA, has over forty (40) years of experience as a pharmacist. He started in research as a Clinical Pharmacokineticist, moving into general clinical programs as a Supervisor, Manager, and Director in the non-profit hospital environment where he spent the first fifteen years of his career. He has been involved in managed care for over twenty-five (25) years with CIGNA, FHP, PacifiCare (now United), Health Net (now Centene) and Ventegra. Over a seven year period starting in 1994 with FHP/PacifiCare (PacifiCare acquired FHP in 1996), Bob oversaw all pharmaceutical contracts and implemented purchase, rebate and risk agreements. As Vice President for Industry Relations, he also launched the generic sampling program (FirstLine Solutions) and the specialty injectable program at RxSolutions (the PBM for PacifiCare) in 1998. In January, 2000, Bob joined Health Net of California as Vice President of Pharmacy. In this capacity, he oversaw all pharmacy functions including formulary, benefit design, network management, claims, and utilization management. He participated on the senior management team and brought the injectable issue to Health Net, as well as, working with other payers to launch The Generic Advantage program. In January, 2002, he assumed responsibility for Health Net of Oregon. Since January 2004, Bob has been President/CEO of Ventegra, Inc., a California Benefit Corporation. In September 2012, Bob successfully negotiated the transfer and retention of control of all (100%) ownership rights for Ventegra and is now the sole shareholder of the company. In 2014, Ventegra was designated the first of a new class-of-trade by the pharmaceutical industry: Medical Benefit Manager (“MBM”). Ventegra is the first and largest MBM Pharmacy Services Administrator operating as a Benefit Corporation in the United States. Ventegra administers pharmacy benefits under a new business model of integrity and transparency that is neither a traditional PBM nor GPO. Ventegra provides an alternative for pharmacy and medical benefit administration that provides for integration of healthcare and population health that results in administrative simplification, increased efficiency, lower costs and higher quality of care by removing perverse incentives associated with many current healthcare business models.

Bob did his undergraduate work at the University of California at Los Angeles, received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Southern California, and completed a clinical residency (specializing in pharmacokinetics) at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in La Jolla, California. Bob later completed his Masters of Business Administration from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.