The David E.I. Pyott Foundation has pledged $2 million for glaucoma education, the largest-ever gift from an individual to the Academy Foundation. The endowment will establish the David E.I. Pyott Glaucoma Education Center on the Academy's Ophthalmic News and Education (ONE®) Network.
Mr. Pyott, a member of the Foundation’s advisory board since 2002, has made significant contributions to ophthalmology and to glaucoma.
From 1998 to 2015, Mr. Pyott served as chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the global pharmaceutical company, Allergan. Allergan is a global leader in ophthalmics and enjoys a decades-long close relationship with all the stakeholders of the eyecare community. “This is my way of giving back. I am delighted to continue a long and rewarding heritage of helping the physicians all over the world speed improvements in patient outcomes.”
The Pyott Glaucoma Education Center will help ophthalmologists who are tackling the leading cause of irreversible, yet preventable, blindness worldwide. By 2020, the number of people with glaucoma is expected to grow to 76 million. Populations in Asia and Africa are affected the most. Proper physician education and online collaboration in this area will save sight and allow people to lead fuller, more productive lives.
With its launch, expected at the end of 2017, the new online center will provide free, easily accessible training to ophthalmologists globally. It will offer interactive cases, simulations and other learning activities, plus a network for physicians to discuss challenging cases with each other. The center will also provide patient education materials.
“David Pyott is an extraordinary philanthropist," said David W. Parke, II, MD, CEO of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “He is knowledgeable and personally experienced and engaged in the problem of treatable global blindness. This endowment will serve as a legacy gift for decades to come—helping current and future physicians around the globe, as well as providing resources for their patients. We are deeply grateful for his steadfast generosity that enhances our capability to protect sight and empower lives.”
Mr. Pyott is president of the Ophthalmology Foundation and a board director at the Pan-American Ophthalmological Foundation. He serves on the advisory board of the American Glaucoma Society Foundation.
During his tenure as chairman of the board and CEO of Allergan (1998 – 2015), Mr. Pyott transformed the company from a small eye care business with about $1 billion in sales to a global specialty pharmaceutical and medical device company with sales topping $7 billion in 2014. He was ranked #4 in the Harvard Business Review 2014 list of “The 100 Best Performing CEOs in the World."
Prior to joining Allergan, Mr. Pyott led the Novartis Nutrition Division and served on the executive committee of the Switzerland-based Novartis AG.
In 2006, he was bestowed with the honor of Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Her Majesty the Queen for his contribution to British business excellence and management skills in the United States. In 2010, he received the UCI Medal and the Moacyr Gold Medal for services to Brazilian ophthalmology. In 2013, the U.S. Marine Corps honored him with the Semper Fidelis Award.
Mr. Pyott holds a diploma in International and European Law from the Europa Institute at the University of Amsterdam, a master of arts degree from the University of Edinburgh and a master of business administration degree from the London Business School.
He is lead director and a member of the board of directors of Avery Dennison Corporation. Additionally, he serves on the boards of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc., BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. and Royal Philips in the Netherlands.