Thanking Rod MacKenzie for his countless contributions to Pfizer, the industry and patients around the globe.

After 35 years of outstanding service to Pfizer, Rod MacKenzie, PhD, Chief Development Officer and Executive Vice President, has informed me of his intent to retire early next year.

This is a bittersweet time for me and for all those colleagues who have worked with Rod over the course of his career. I will miss working with my friend, but I am excited to see the wonderful things he will accomplish in the next chapter of his life.

Rod has been a part of so many incredible moments and milestones during his career, and most importantly, his mission and drive of putting patients first has never wavered. He has dedicated his career to leading others to discover and develop hope for the world in the form of new medicines and vaccines. A notable example of his dedication to our purpose was evident last year when Rod led the development team to deliver the first-ever COVID-19 vaccine in record time, setting a new standard for future drug development.

In his 35 years with Pfizer, Rod held numerous leadership positions at Pfizer, including Group Senior Vice President of PharmaTherapeutics R&D and Senior Vice President and Head of Worldwide Research. He served as Site Director of Pfizer’s largest global R&D facility in Groton, CT, and played a role in the creation of our Kendall Square site in Cambridge, MA. Under his direction and vision, we have transformed Pfizer’s clinical development engine, reducing end-to-end operational cycle times by 2.5 years and repositioning Pfizer as among the industry best.

Rod has also created lasting change through his focus on growing and developing scientists and healthcare leaders, with a particularly focus on diversity and inclusion. He has been a long-time advocate for the advancement of women at Pfizer and across the industry. In fact, last year, Rod was named Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) 2020/2021 Honorable Mentor, which is among its highest honors. His passion for parity also reaches into his leadership of Pfizer’s clinical trials, where ensuring our clinical trials represent racial and ethnic diversity is a critical focus and priority.

Rod will continue in his role, while we search for a new Chief Development Officer, to ensure a seamless transition.

I hope you will join me in thanking Rod for his leadership and for his innumerable contributions to Pfizer.