Róbert Wessman

Over the past 25 years, our founder Róbert Wessman has built a global reputation as a leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars, creating and growing enterprises with a singular purpose: to make life-changing medicines more affordable and readily available to people and patients around the world.

Róbert has founded and led numerous 'unicorns' — private enterprises worth more than $1bn — in this space. His companies include generics makers and distributors Actavis, Alvogen, Medis, Adalvo and Lotus, as well as Iceland-based biosimilars pioneer Alvotech. His achievements and business strategies have been the subject of three Harvard Busines School case studies.

Róbert was born and raised in Iceland. He attended public schools in the Reykjavik area and received his BA in business administration from the University of Iceland. In 1999, at the age of 29, Róbert left his position in the Hamburg office of an Icelandic shipping line and returned to Iceland to become CEO of a near bankrupt local drugmaker, Delta. Merged with another local pharmaceutical company, Actavis was born, and by the time Róbert stepped down as CEO in 2008 to found Alvogen, it had grown to be one of the world's largest generics companies.

Róbert established Aztiq in tandem with the launch of Alvogen and it has supported his enterprises and leadership and innovation in the sector ever since. He serves as CEO of Alvotech, as well as chairman of Aztiq's portfolio companies.

Róbert and his wife have six children. An avid and formerly competitive cyclist, he often speaks about his early struggles with dislexia. While making school more difficult, he also credits the condition with giving him the determination to overcome obstacles, an unusual perspective on problems, and the ability to focus on goals and results. Róbert enjoys spending all the time he can at his vineyard in central France.