Pharmafile Logo

Lucid Group Appoints Former Pfizer R&D Leader Rod MacKenzie, CMG, PhD, as Board Chair to Drive Next Phase of Global Growth and Innovation

March 18, 2026 |  

Appointment marks a pivotal step in Lucid’s next phase of growth, strengthening its ability to translate complex science into real-world impact.

Lucid’s US Medical Affairs division unveils new proprietary insights tools to expand advisory capabilities.

LONDON & PHILADELPHIA, March 18, 2026 Lucid Group, a global leader in healthcare communications and commercialisation, today announced that Rod MacKenzie, CMG, PhD, former Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at Pfizer, has been appointed as the new Chair of the Lucid Group Board of Directors. Dr MacKenzie will succeed Andy Black, who retired from the Board following the end of his term.

- PMLiVEThis appointment reflects a shared mission with Lucid Group to transform lives by ensuring innovative medicine doesn’t stop at approval but reaches the patients who need it most. His leadership marks a pivotal step in Lucid’s next phase of growth, strengthening its ability to translate complex science into real-world impact.

“Dr MacKenzie’s career is defined by his dedication to patient outcomes and a deep understanding that breakthrough science only matters when translated into action,” said Rick Sannem, CEO of Lucid Group. “His arrival supports our shared vision that we don’t just help clients talk about their science, we uncover the defining insights that shape behaviour so life-changing medicines find their rightful place in the market.”

Dr MacKenzie spent 34 years at Pfizer, where he led the Global Product Development division and oversaw 6,000 professionals dedicated to advancing innovative medicines and vaccines. He played a critical role in the development of both the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and antiviral, Paxlovid, in addition to serving on Pfizer’s Executive Leadership Team from 2016 to 2022. In recognition of his contributions to public health during the pandemic, he was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George by Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.​

“Inventing and developing innovative medicines takes great science and execution. But translating that science into improved patient outcomes in clinical practice requires real strategic discipline,” said Dr MacKenzie. “Even brilliant science can struggle to break through, so innovative companies need a strategic partner like Lucid, whose integrated approach to solving complex challenges delivers changes in behaviours that successfully overcome treatment barriers. Lucid’s cre

ativity and unique data synthesis capabilities really stand out in the marketplace. I am thrilled to join the Lucid Board and share Lucid’s deep commitment to transforming lives across the globe.”

In addition to Dr MacKenzie’s appointment, Lucid’s US Medical Affairs division is unveiling new proprietary insights tools to expand its advisory capabilities at the Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) conference in Denver from 22-25 March:

  • Influence Amplifier™ – Closes the gap between communication and behaviour change by combining real-time behavioural insights, precision targeting, and adaptive analytics to expand peer-to-peer communication relevance and audience priorities.
  • Impact Validator™ – Pinpoints precisely where efforts drive change through a​ five-step framework spanning clinical gaps and audience priorities, tailored interventions, omnichannel engagement, performance data, and adaptive refinement.

Together, these tools magnify and document scientific impact while delivering Precision Engagement™, a repeatable, self‑optimising cycle that continuously strengthens ​scientific influence, impact, and patient outcomes over time​.

To demonstrate how Lucid Medical is enabling Medical Affairs teams to be strategic catalysts for change, it is offering free, 30-minute Impact Calibration™ sessions designed to map Medical Affairs teams’ current influence and spotlight opportunities for measurable growth.

About Lucid Group

Lucid Group, a global leader in healthcare communications and commercialisation, is driven by a mission to transform lives by bridging the gap between scientific discovery and patient impact. For life sciences organisations navigating their highest-stakes decisions, Lucid doesn’t just communicate science but ensures clients leave a lasting impact on the market and the patients they serve. Lucid brings together experts across Strategy Consulting, Scientific and Medical Communications, and Commercial Communications, fusing scientific rigour, strategic foresight, commercial ingenuity, creative storytelling, and deep human insight into an integrated force, powered by real-world evidence. This unique approach allows Lucid to uncover the ‘Lucid Truth’— the deep-seated insight that governs stakeholder behaviour and anchors bold, behaviour-changing ideas, executed at key moments and accelerated by AI and technology. To learn more about Lucid Group, visit www.wearelucidgroup.com and LinkedIn.

Media Contacts:

Chris Dougherty
CDougherty@reboundb2b.com

Elyse Cole
media@wearelucidgroup.com

This content was provided by Lucid Group Communications Limited

Company Details

 Latest Content from  Lucid Group Communications Limited 

From Cowgirl to Medical Writer – How did that happen?

Amy Jackson, Editorial Director, Lucid Group discusses her unlikely path into Medical Communications.

Measures for measures

Why pharma’s marketing metrics must close the loop

My adventure into the world of Medcomms and Lucid’s Futures Academy

After finishing my PhD, I was disillusioned with the lab. I felt that I wanted more out of my career than working on one protein, in one pathway, for the...

Graduation day is celebrated by Lucid’s third Futures Academy cohort

Lucid’s Futures Academy is proud to release its most recent cohort of graduates into the business for the first of their two rotations.The Futures Academy begins with an eight-week intensive...

Bluedog Launch Celebrations

Teams from all companies within the Lucid Group and Bluedog gathered to celebrate both the launch of this new partnership and Lucid Group’s twelve-year anniversary.  2019 is set to be a...

Lighthouse Medical Communications US appoints Lisa Druce as its new Managing Partner

Lighthouse Medical Communications US, a Lucid Group company, is delighted to announce the appointment of its new Managing Partner, Lisa Druce.Lisa is an experienced strategic business leader and healthcare communications...

Lucid Group brings creative and digital magic to the mix with the acquisition of Bluedog

Lucid Group is delighted to announce its first acquisition, welcoming colleagues from creative and digital consultancy Bluedog into its magic kingdom.Over the last twelve years, Lucid Group has become well...

Lucid Group acquires creative and digital agency Bluedog

Lucid Group is delighted to announce its first acquisition, welcoming colleagues from creative and digital consultancy Bluedog into its magic kingdom.

Lighthouse Medical Communications US goes large in the Big Apple

It’s a double celebration for Lighthouse Medical Communications US, a Lucid Group Company, as it celebrated its four-year anniversary, coupled with a move to impressive new offices in Financial District, Manhattan,...