Albert A. Bourla
As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Albert Bourla leads Pfizer in its purpose, “Breakthroughs that change patients’ lives,” with a focus on driving the scientific and commercial innovation needed to transform human health. Under Bourla's leadership, Pfizer aims to redefine what is possible across oncology, internal medicine, inflammation and immunology and vaccines. Bourla has made artificial intelligence central to how Pfizer discovers, develops and manufactures medicines, believing it will accelerate innovation and fundamentally change what is possible for patients.
Bourla became CEO in January 2019 after more than 30 years at Pfizer and after holding senior positions in five countries. He has advanced Pfizer’s transformation into a science-driven company, divesting non-science-based businesses and increasing investment in R&D and technology. The urgency and innovation that defined Pfizer’s response to COVID-19—delivering a safe and effective vaccine in eight months and the first FDA-authorized oral antiviral treatment—now shape how the company works across its entire portfolio.
Bourla is a Genesis Prize Laureate. He has received the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Outstanding Achievement Award for Service to Cancer Science and Medicine, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Courage Against Hate Award, and the Concordia Leadership Award. He was named among Fortune’s Most Powerful People in Business, Time’s 100 Most Influential People in Health and CEO of the Year by CNN Business.
He is Chair of the Pfizer Foundation and Co-Chair of the Partnership for New York City. He previously served as Chair of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and as President of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA).
Born in Thessaloniki, Greece, to a family of Holocaust survivors, Bourla is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with a Ph.D. in the Biotechnology of Reproduction from the Veterinary School of Aristotle University.