Dr. Albert Bourla, the Thessaloniki-born head of the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, will be awarded the title of “Father of the Year” on behalf of all Pfizer employees by the National Father’s Day Committee.
The award will be presented in a virtual ceremony on June 17, 2021. As part of the Council’s commitment to supporting meaningful philanthropies aiding mothers, fathers and children, the award benefits Save the Children’s US Programs and advocacy.
The 79th annual award will be given to not only an exemplary father figure and notable CEO but the man at the helm of the corporation responsible, along with Germany’s BioNTech, for producing the world’s first coronavirus vaccine.
“During this extremely challenging year for families globally, we are privileged to have the opportunity to celebrate employees at Pfizer who have made such crucial contributions to science and medicine during the pandemic,” said Dan Orwig, President and CEO of the Father’s Day/Mother’s Day Council.
“Their efforts have resulted in a safe and effective vaccine that is now giving us all hope that this worldwide crisis will soon be managed. We’re honored to have Dr. Bourla accept this award on their behalf and we respect and admire the determination and leadership he has shown over his career, especially throughout the pandemic.”
Bourla’s distinguished career
Starting out his professional career as a veterinarian in his native Greece, Bourla has now spent more than 25 years at Pfizer, building a diverse and successful career, holding a number of senior global positions across a range of markets and disciplines.
Prior to taking the reins as CEO in January 2019, Dr. Bourla served as Pfizer’s Chief Operating Officer.
He also formerly served as Group President of Pfizer Innovative Health and created the Patient and Health Impact Group, which is dedicated to developing solutions for increasing patient access, demonstrating the value of Pfizer’s medications and ensuring broader business model innovation.
He began his Pfizer career in 1993 in the Animal Health Division as Technical Director of Greece. He held positions of increasing responsibility within Animal Health across Europe, before moving to Pfizer’s New York Global Headquarters in 2001.
A Thessaloniki native, Dr. Bourla now lives in New York with his wife and their children. He holds a PhD in the Biotechnology of Reproduction from the Veterinary School of Aristotle University.
He was ranked as America’s top CEO in the Pharmaceuticals sector in 2020 by Institutional Investor magazine. Dr. Bourla is active in many different organizations, serving on the on the executive committee of The Partnership for New York City and as a vice president of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations.
He is also a director on the boards of Pfizer, Inc.; The Pfizer Foundation; PhRMA and Catalyst. He is also a Trustee of the United States Council for International Business and a member of the Business Roundtable and the Business Council.
National Father’s Day/Mother’s Day Council
The National Father’s Day/Mother’s Day Council, Inc. has donated more than $30 million to date to meaningful charities nationwide.
The Father’s Day/Mother’s Day Council is a non-profit association that has as its mission the recognition and awarding of honors to role model contemporary fathers and mothers, while at the same time contributing to issues affecting the life and well-being of men, women and families.
Past honorees have included Presidents Joseph Biden, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, Generals Douglas MacArthur, Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf, retail veteran Terry Lundgren, sports notables Arthur Ashe, Jim Kelly and Michael “Coach K” Krzyzewski, and communications leaders Tim Russert and Harry Smith.
To learn more about The National Father’s Day Council, please visit its website.
About Save the Children’s U.S. Programs
The Save the Children organization believes that every child deserves a future. Since its founding more than 100 years ago, the organization has changed the lives of more than 1 billion children.
In the United States and around the world, they give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.
In the U.S., Save the Children is focused on ensuring kids are ready for kindergarten and reaching key reading and math milestones at the end of third grade and that kids are continuing to learn and receive the nutrition they need during the coronavirus pandemic. More information is available online in their website.
For tickets to the o online event honoring Dr. Bourla, and sponsorship for the celebration, please contact the Council office at 212-594-5977 or visit its website.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
