Pfizer Appoints AI Leader to Boost Digital Transformation

Pfizer, a global leader in the pharmaceutical industry, has made a strategic move to enhance its digital innovation by appointing Berta Rodriguez-Hervas as the Chief AI and Analytics Officer. 

This appointment underscores Pfizer's commitment to integrating advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into its operations, a step that is increasingly vital in the continually changing healthcare landscape. Berta Rodriguez-Hervas brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles at Stellantis, Nvidia, and Tesla, where she was instrumental in driving digital transformation and AI initiatives.

Lidia Fonseca, Pfizer’s Chief Digital and Technology Officer, expressed her confidence in Berta's capabilities, stating: “I am confident that Berta's leadership and fresh perspective will continue to take our enterprise AI strategies and capabilities to the next level to accelerate our purpose of breakthroughs that change patients' lives”.

An AI thought leader

At Stellantis, Berta served as Vice President of AI, Algorithms and ML Ops, focusing on strategies for autonomous vehicles. Her tenure at Nvidia saw her working on cutting-edge projects in computer vision and deep learning as a Principal Scientist. 

This extensive background positions her to oversee Pfizer's AI operations effectively and co-chair the company's AI Council, suggesting strategies for successful implementation. Her academic credentials further bolster her expertise, as she holds a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso.

Berta’s ability to implement AI solutions at scale across large organisations is expected to be a significant asset for Pfizer as it seeks to leverage AI in clinical development, particularly in generating documents, tables and reports for drug approval processes.

Pfizer has a mission to improve healthcare outcomes through technological innovation.

The company is using AI in clinical development to generate documents, tables and reports for drug approval. This happens in connection with the drug discovery process, as the company hopes to shorten time to market and gain deeper insights from clinical data. With this in mind, the appointment of Berta is a testament to Pfizer's proactive approach in harnessing AI to accelerate drug development and discovery, aiming to shorten the time to market and gain deeper insights from clinical data.

As a whole, the healthcare industry stands to benefit immensely from AI, which can drive scientific breakthroughs, aid in disease diagnosis, enhance treatment options and support health equity.

The global need for Chief AI Officers

The Chief AI Officer role has become increasingly common across multiple industries, with companies like Boeing, NASA, PwC and Instanda hiring new officers in recent months.

The role of Chief AI Officer has become increasingly prevalent across various sectors, reflecting a broader trend of integrating AI into strategic business functions. Companies such as Boeing, NASA and PwC have also recently appointed AI leaders, highlighting the growing recognition of AI's potential to transform industries.

In fact, a recent Gartner poll indicated that 54% of organisations have appointed a head of AI or an AI thought leader. It highlights an enterprise need for an individual responsible for AI developments, focusing on AI strategy and governance in particular.

For Pfizer in particular, it is clear the organisation is eager to advance its AI capabilities, leveraging the technology to boost their data insights.

Berta Rodriguez-Hervas herself is enthusiastic about her new role at Pfizer, stating via LinkedIn, "I am incredibly inspired by the shared vision I have with Lidia Fonseca regarding the future of AI at Pfizer, and the immense impact we will bring to patients' lives".

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