Global nutrition company Herbalife, Los Angeles, CA, has hired Dr. John Agwunobi as its chief health and nutrition officer. Dr. Agwunobi brings an accomplished background and a wealth of experience to Herbalife as a physician, a public health official and a global executive.
 
“We are proud to welcome Dr. Agwunobi to our Herbalife nutrition team. As we continue to invest in accomplished leaders, we further strengthen our mission of providing health and nutrition education and training to our members and their customers around the world,” said Michael O. Johnson, chairman and CEO, Herbalife.
 
In his new role, Dr. Agwunobi is responsible for the company’s nutrition philosophy; nutrition and product education; leading the Herbalife Nutrition Institute; the Herbalife Nutrition Advisory Board and the Herbalife Dietetic Advisory Board. Dr. Agwunobi will work with Herbalife’s 34 PhDs and 250 staff scientists to integrate nutrition science and member training into its product development process.
 
Dr. Agwunobi brings a wealth of experience from both the public and private sectors. Most notably, from 2005-2007, he served as the Assistant Secretary of Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. During his term, he was responsible for disease prevention and health promotion. He oversaw the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, the office of the U.S. Surgeon General, and numerous other public health offices and programs.
 
In the private sector, Dr. Agwunobi served as senior vice president and president of health and wellness for Walmart in the U.S.  where he helped grow annual revenue from around $25 billion to $30 billion. He also provided insight and advice on health reform positions, public health advocacy, health nutrition, employee wellness and emergency response.
 
Dr. Agwunobi has a broad educational background that includes a master’s in public health from Johns Hopkins University and a master’s in business administration from Georgetown University. Dr. Agwunobi completed his pediatric residency at Howard University and is currently a licensed physician in Florida, Maryland and Washington D.C. He serves on numerous boards including the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF), Shopko, Magellan Health Services, Smart Rx Systems Inc. and Oration Health.