Pfizer grows digital team with chief AI officer appointment

Pfizer has appointed Berta Rodriguez-Hervas to its digital leadership team, naming her chief artificial intelligence and analytics officer.

The appointment was revealed in a LinkedIn post by Lidia Fonseca, Pfizer's chief digital and technology officer, who said that Rodriguez-Hervas will also be the new co-chair of the pharma group's AI council.

She joins Pfizer after holding senior positions at automotive group Stellantis, electric vehicle maker Tesla, and tech giant NVIDIA and, according to Fonseca, brings "an extensive background in AI, machine learning, and analytics, with a track record of quickly developing AI solutions and delivering them at scale in large global organisations."

Her last role was as vice president of AI, algorithms, and machine learning operations at Stellantis, an automotive behemoth created in 2021 from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA, which owns a string of vehicle brands including Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Dodge, Jeep, Maserati, Vauxhall/Opel, and Peugeot. She was tasked with designing and implementing the strategy for the next generation of autonomous vehicles.

"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," said Fonseca.

Pfizer is deploying AI and related technologies to speed up the discovery and development of medicines and vaccines, including improvements in the design of clinical trials, to improve the efficiency of internal processes through the use of smart automation, and to enhance the patient and healthcare practitioner experience through the use of 'digital companion' technology to enhance new products.

After a wave of appointments of chief digital officers in the last few years, companies, healthcare systems, and government agencies are increasingly looking to add in specialist chief AI officers (CAIOs) to make sure they stay abreast of the fast-moving category.

Earlier this year, the Biden administration made it mandatory for all US federal agencies to appoint a CAIO to champion smart AI adoption, and crucially to be able to recognise and juggle the benefits and risks of AI. That followed an executive order to establish the first set of standards for using AI in healthcare and other industries.

Industry is also following the trend, although, for many companies the responsibility for AI can still lie with the chief digital, chief technology, and chief information officers, according to a recent Gartner report, which says many prefer to put responsibility for AI below the C-suite, with positions such as global head of AI.

Rodriguez-Herva, who holds a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso, said: "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. I can't wait to build this future together with all Pfizer colleagues, partners, and future colleagues."