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Cencora, Inc.

Healthcare Distribution and Specialty PharmacyFounded 2001
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Founders

Who Founded Cencora?

Lucien Brunswig, Amerisource Health · Founded 2001 · HQ today: Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

Who founded Cencora?

Cencora was founded by Lucien Brunswig, Amerisource Health in 2001. It is now led by Robert P. Mauch.

Founders
Lucien Brunswig, Amerisource Health
Founded
2001
Headquarters
Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
Number of founders
2
Current CEO
Robert P. Mauch (since 2024)
Where was Cencora founded?
Cencora was founded in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania in 2001.
When was Cencora founded?
Cencora was founded in 2001.
Who started Cencora?
Cencora was founded by Lucien Brunswig and Amerisource Health.
How old is Cencora?
Cencora is 25 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

Cencora's roots run through two older wholesalers. Bergen Brunswig traced its history to 19th-century drug wholesaling by Lucien Napoleon Brunswig, whose Brunswig Drug Company combined with New Jersey's Bergen Drug Company in 1969. AmeriSource grew out of Alco Health Services, the drug distribution arm of Alco Standard, and took the AmeriSource name in the 1990s. The two merged in August 2001 to form AmerisourceBergen, which renamed itself Cencora in August 2023 and began trading under the ticker COR.

Lucien Brunswig

Co-founder 1871

Background

Brunswig built a regional drug wholesaling business supplying pharmacies, the core distribution model Cencora still runs at national scale.

Role at Cencora, Inc.

Lucien Napoleon Brunswig was a 19th-century pharmaceutical wholesaler whose Brunswig Drug Company became one half of Bergen Brunswig after a 1969 merger with Bergen Drug Company. Bergen Brunswig later merged with AmeriSource Health in 2001 to form AmerisourceBergen, now Cencora. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).

Amerisource Health

Co-founder 2001

Background

AmeriSource brought a large independent-pharmacy and distribution network and the Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania-area management base that later moved to Conshohocken.

Role at Cencora, Inc.

Amerisource Health was the Pennsylvania-based drug wholesaler that grew out of Alco Health Services. In 2001 it merged with Bergen Brunswig to create AmerisourceBergen, with AmeriSource CEO R. David Yost leading the combined company until 2011. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).

Cencora, Inc.: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

Eva Boratto

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

2026 – Present

As CFO, she oversaw the severe financial fallout and multi-billion dollar settlement payments resulting from the company's alleged role in the US opioid crisis.

Robert P. Mauch

President and Chief Executive Officer

2024 – Present

Mauch became CEO on October 1, 2024, after serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and leading the U.S. distribution business. As CEO he has narrowed the company's focus around pharmaceuticals, completing the Retina Consultants of America and OneOncology acquisitions and agreeing to merge MWI Animal Health into Covetrus.

Steven H. Collis

Former Chief Executive Officer; Executive Chairman

2011 – 2024

As CEO, he successfully deepened the company's highly lucrative partnership with Walgreens, securing their long-term position as one of the three massive distributors controlling the US drug supply.

R. David Yost

Former Chief Executive Officer

2001 – 2011

Serving as CEO until 2011, he aggressively transitioned the company from a regional drug wholesaler into a massive, national supply chain backbone for independent pharmacies and hospitals.

Keep researching Cencora

Who Founded Cencora? FAQ

How was Cencora originally founded and what two companies merged to create it?

Cencora was formed in August 2001 as AmerisourceBergen Corporation through the merger of two pharmaceutical wholesalers, AmeriSource Health Corporation and Bergen Brunswig Corporation.

What was the founding history of Bergen Brunswig Corporation?

Bergen Brunswig traced its roots to Lucien Napoleon Brunswig's 19th-century drug wholesaling business. His Brunswig Drug Company merged with Bergen Drug Company in 1969, forming one of the largest U.S. drug distributors.

What was the founding history of AmeriSource Health Corporation?

AmeriSource grew out of Alco Health Services, the drug distribution arm of Alco Standard Corporation. It later became independent, took the AmeriSource name, and expanded through acquisitions before the 2001 merger.

Why did AmeriSource and Bergen Brunswig merge in 2001?

The 2001 merger united AmeriSource's strength in independent community pharmacy distribution with Bergen Brunswig's dominance in hospital and retail chain pharmacy supply, creating an industry giant capable of competing against McKesson and Cardinal Health.

Who was Lucien Napoleon Brunswig and what was his pharmaceutical legacy?

Lucien Napoleon Brunswig was a 19th-century pharmaceutical wholesaler whose Brunswig Drug Company became half of Bergen Brunswig, one of Cencora's two predecessor companies.

Who was Robert Martini and what was his contribution to the 2001 merger?

Robert E. Martini, the former chairman and CEO of Bergen Brunswig, became chairman of AmerisourceBergen's board after the 2001 merger, while AmeriSource's R. David Yost became CEO.

What core founding principles from 2001 remain central to Cencora today?

The founding principles of unyielding commitment to patient medicine access, pharmaceutical supply chain integrity, cold-chain safety, and empowering independent community pharmacies continue to anchor Cencora's global operations.

What is the lasting legacy of the founding merger on the modern US healthcare system?

The merger creating AmerisourceBergen in 2001 established one of the three foundational pillars of the US pharmaceutical supply chain, ensuring that prescription medicines are reliably delivered within 24 hours to virtually every pharmacy and hospital in America.

Who founded Cencora?

The modern entity was created in 2001 through a massive mega-merger between two historic distribution giants: AmeriSource Health Corporation and Bergen Brunswig Corporation.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.