An Unconventional Path: Seung Hyun Moon’s (MPA-HPAM 2006) Journey from NYU Wagner to BioTech Executive

Growing up in Korea, Seung Hyun Moon (MPA-HPAM 2006) would have never imagined where his career would take him. Once a burgeoning physician, Moon then graduated from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service with an MPA degree in health policy and management before launching a successful career in pharmaceuticals, commercializing rare disease treatments, and expanding access to care. 

After attending medical school and serving as a practicing physician for three years in his native country, Moon decided he was ready for a career change. He enrolled in Wagner, enticed by its well-known health management program, with a plan to explore the other side of working in a hospital—the financial management and administrative side. After an internship at a local New York City hospital, Moon soon realized his passion for public health and his desire to work in a fast-moving industry would be better suited to other career options.

Opening New Doors

As a result, Moon’s time at Wagner and New York City opened doors for him in unexpected ways. Moon noted that living in the United States helped shift his perspective on the pharmaceutical industry. In Korea, he mentioned, the field was not well regarded, and he realized that the industry was more innovative in the U.S. As a result, Moon began his career in the biotech industry at Handok Pharmaceuticals, starting in business development and working his way up to Head of Speciality Franchise. 

“I was prepared for the role because of my training as an MD and because of all the skills I learned at Wagner, including financial management, business models, and planning,” said Moon on the transition into his new field.

From there, Moon has continued to rise through the ranks, returning to the U.S. to spend more than seven years at Alexion Pharmaceuticals and more than four at AlloVir, where he rose to senior vice president, U.S. general manager. Throughout his career, Moon has been involved in the commercialization of six rare disease products, in the U.S. and globally. His focus, always, is on putting the patient first. 

“In a small biotech setting, our decisions are fast—we’re executing a lot quickly and in a really hard-working environment,” said Moon. “So at the end of the day, I actually feel like I did something for the patient out there, because we are the only hope they have.”

In early 2024, Moon took on his current challenge—becoming one of the first employees at a biotech startup under the French parent company Pierre Fabre Laboratories. 

“They set up this subsidiary only last year to launch an innovative cell therapy that I’m working on right now,” said Moon. “I was hired as Employee Number Three to build a company, and at the same time to commercialize this product.”

A Strong Wagner Foundation

Though his career has taken him in a different direction, Moon credits his time at Wagner for instilling in him the values of civic discourse and persuasive communication. 

“It was a lot of ‘aha’ moments because in Korea, in medical school, you don’t have to write anything. It’s all about passing the exam, getting the license, and then you’re a doctor,” he said. “And then when I got here, everything was different.”

He noted that in Korean schooling, most courses are lecture-based, with a professor standing at the front of the room and students listening and taking notes. Students rarely spoke up in class and didn’t challenge the professor or debate amongst themselves. That’s why Moon was shocked when he received an email from a Wagner professor during his first semester pointing out that his participation score in the class was low. 

“After that email, I changed my approach entirely,” he said. “I thought, ‘Even if I don’t know the exact answer, I’ll start contributing to the class.’ Then after that, I started enjoying it more, and I could get more out of the class.”

He added that having to defend his opinion in writing—rather than only taking multiple choice exams—was instrumental in finding his voice and confidence. “Still, in my current job, I’m very vocal about my opinion,” he said. “I’m not afraid; if I need to say something, I say it.”

Moon also credited the foundational skills he learned at Wagner—finance, accounting, and economics—as contributors to his success. As a Wagner student, he participated in a business plan competition hosted by Stern, where he and his teammates advanced to the final four. 

Additionally, in his current role, Moon has prepared to work with the FDA on their cell therapy product, in which his Wagner education on healthcare policy will surely come in handy. “The healthcare industry is closely related to policy,” Moon noted. “We are one of the industries swayed a lot by such policies. I hope policymakers can strike the right balance to continue [the United States’] leadership in innovation.”

Through his journey from medical school to Wagner to biotech, Moon’s core desires—to help patients in a fast-moving, innovative environment—have landed him in a career he’s truly passionate about. Now, he hopes to enlighten Wagner students and alumni on the variety of opportunities available to them. “I think they’ve got to try,” he said. “There are so many things to do with the knowledge you’ve gathered here.”