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Dimitris Polygenis Named New President of McKesson Canada - McKesson Canada
McKesson Canada’s Newsroom
Discover the latest in healthcare and headlines about McKesson Canada.
McKesson Canada’s Newsroom
Discover the latest in healthcare and headlines about McKesson Canada.
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Mississauga, ON (October 1, 2025) – McKesson Canada is pleased to officially announce the appointment of veteran executive Dimitris Polygenis as President of McKesson Canada.
With over 20 years at McKesson Canada, Dimitris Polygenis has led transformational growth across the organization with executive leadership roles across Retail, Pharmaceutical and most recently as the head of Specialty Health. He was instrumental in the success of Phase 4 Health, later integrated into McKesson, championing a new model for delivering innovative, patient-centric specialized therapies that helped redefine Canadian healthcare. Under his leadership, Specialty Health has continued its legacy of developing revolutionary programs including initiating bold investments in technology and data analytics to accelerate access to care, improve adherence, and elevate outcomes.
“It is a great honour to take on this responsibility, and I am eager to continue working with this talented, passionate team and our stakeholders across the Canadian healthcare system,” said Polygenis. “McKesson Canada has a strong history of leadership and innovation to meet the needs of our customers, providers, partners and the patients we serve, and my commitment is to continue to make a positive and lasting impact for all.”
Polygenis holds a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Toronto. He has served on several boards in the healthcare industry including positions at the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia Pharmacy Programs and the Canadian Association for Pharmacy Distribution Management (CAPDM) as Chair. He is a current board member of the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada (NPAC) and the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA), where he chairs the National Pharmacy Business Council.
Polygenis succeeds Joan Eliasek who takes on the position of President, North American Pharmaceutical Distribution under a new organizational structure at McKesson Corporation.
“Dimitris is a demonstrated business leader with deep experience in every facet of our business and a comprehensive understanding of our industry at large,” said Eliasek. “Dimitris’ commitment to excellence and focus on delivering results for customers and patients position him well to lead McKesson Canada into the next chapter.”
About McKesson Canada
McKesson Canada is a diversified healthcare services leader dedicated to advancing health outcomes for patients everywhere. Our teams partner with pharmaceutical companies, care providers, pharmacies, manufacturers, governments, and others to deliver insights, products and services to help make quality care more accessible and affordable. Learn more about how McKesson Canada is impacting virtually every aspect of healthcare at www.McKesson.ca.
Media contact:
Kelly Wighton
Senior Advisor, Public Relations, McKesson Canada
media@mckesson.ca
A significant public policy priority for the Government of Canada is ensuring comprehensive, timely, and equitable access to medication for rare diseases; as such, the Government of Canada has allocated $500 million annually to a national strategy for rare disease drugs. McKesson Canada is proud to contribute to this conversation, drawing on experience with patient support programs, pharmaceutical distribution, and specialty pharmacy services.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, it became clear that any return to 'normal' would only be possible once the majority of Canadians received vaccines. At the time, a COVID-19 vaccine existed only in the designs of biomedical scientists, and most did not anticipate a mass-market vaccine arriving for at least 18 months. In addition to developing the vaccine, the pharmaceutical sector had to conquer the challenge of manufacturing, transporting, storing, and administering billions of doses.
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