Pfizer’s incoming chief executive Albert Bourla is being quick to put his own stamp on the company, unveiling a leadership reshuffle before he takes the helm in January.
Albert Bourla, incoming Pfizer CEO
Bourla was revealed as CEO less than two weeks ago, after current boss Ian Read announced he would step down from the role after eight years of service.
This recent shake-up however, comprises some expected internal changes, retirement announcements and the creation of a new role chief digital officer role.
Pfizer has appointed Lidia Fonseca to the newly created position, luring her away from her current role as chief information officer and senior vice president at Quest Diagnostics.
The move reflects a wider trend in big pharma, with Novarits and GlaxoSmithKline hiring their own digital leaders, GSK appointing Walmart’s Karenann Terrell as its chief digital and technology officer last year.
Lidia Fonseca
Meanwhile, Pfizer’s chief financial officer and executive vice president, global supply and business operations Frank D’Amelio will assume the leadership of its manufacturing operations, Pfizer Global Supply. He will succeed Kirsten Lund-Jurgensen, who is set to retire at the end of the year following 19 years of service.
Current global president, worldwide research and development and medical, Mikael Dolsten, will also become chief medical officer.
Executive vice president and chief development officer Rod MacKenzie will expand his responsibilities to include the company’s regulatory affairs function.
John Young, group president, chief business officer will also assume new responsibilities, which will see him focus on strategy, business development and portfolio management, following the retirement of Laurie Olson, executive vice president, strategy and commercial operations.
Angela Hwang, Pfizer’s Innovative Medicines group president will take the lead on its innovative medicines portfolio and Freda Lewis-Hall, the company’s chief patient officer, will focus on delivering new therapies and vaccines.
Bourla said: “We are at a pivotal moment in Pfizer’s history, with Ian Read having positioned the company with a strong portfolio of marketed products, a deep pipeline and the clear potential to accelerate our revenue growth.
“Given this opportunity to realise this accelerated growth potential, we are creating an executive team that has a proven record of success, an unwavering commitment to the patients we serve, and a clear value creation initiative.
“I look forward to working with these outstanding leaders to achieve the full potential of our pipeline and deliver our next stage of growth.”