After graduating with a B.Sc. in Biological Science from Glasgow University, John Young joined the multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation Pfizer in 1987, progressing through several leadership roles, including Regional President of the Primary Care Business Unit for Europe and Canada and President and General Manager of the Global Primary Care Business Unit. He became Group President of Pfizer’s Essential Health and Innovative Health businesses, overseeing multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology, rare diseases, and vaccines. In 2019, he was appointed Group President and Chief Business Officer and played a key role in the strategy and development efforts that led to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

He retired from Pfizer in 2022 and serves on the Boards of Novartis AG, Johnson Controls International, and Arvinas Inc. He previously served on the Boards of Haleon PLC, Imbria Pharmaceuticals, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries Associations, The Biotechnology Innovation Organization, and the National Committee on United States-China Relations.