PFIZER CORPORATE MANAGEMENT CHANGES REPRESENT "INTEGRATION OF FUNCTIONS"
Executive Summary
PFIZER CORPORATE MANAGEMENT CHANGES REPRESENT "INTEGRATION OF FUNCTIONS," Pfizer President Gerald Laubach, PhD, stated in a July 30 release announcing two changes of position in Pfizer's R&D management team. Barry Bloom, PhD, currently president of central research and VP, Pfizer Inc., will become senior vice president for research and development on Sept. 1. John Niblack, PhD, currently exec VP, central research, will replace Bloom as president of central research and be nominated for election as a corporate officer at Pfizer's Aug. 23 board of directors meeting, Laubach announced. The organizational moves "represent an additional step in the integration of functions, in this case scientific, related to the worldwide pharmaceuticals business," Laubach stated in the release. In his new corporate role Bloom will report to William Steere, senior VP for Pfizer, Inc. and President of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Group. Niblack will continue to report to Bloom; also reporting to Bloom are Medical Pharmaceuticals Group Senior VP and VP-Licensing and Development John Jefferis, MD, and VP-Quality Control John Syverson. A 39-year Pfizer veteran, Bloom joined the company in 1951 as a research chemist and has served as president of central research since 1971. Niblack is a 23-year veteran of the corporation. Pfizer also announced new positions for three executives on July 23 that Chairman and CEO Edmund Pratt, 63, said "represent another step in the continuing transition to new corporate leadership." Senior VP Jean-Paul Valles, 53, takes on additional responsibility for the company's Animal Health Group. His role as Chief Financial Officer and VP-finance is assumed by Henry McKinnell, 47. Peter Tombros, also 47, succeeds McKinnell as VP-corporate strategic planning. Tombros is currently exec VP, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. Recently, Pfizer announced new leadership and global reporting structure for Pfizer International, with the promotion of Robert Neimath as president ("The Pink Sheet," July 23, "In Brief").