Pfizer appoints Elif Aral as Regional President for MERA

UAE—Pfizer has announced the appointment of Elif Aral as the new Regional President for the Middle East, Russia, and Africa (MERA), effective September 2024.  

She takes over from Patrick van der Loo, who is transitioning to lead Pfizer’s operations in Germany as Country President. 

In her new role, Elif Aral will be responsible for spearheading Pfizer’s strategic initiatives in the MERA region, focusing on bringing scientific breakthroughs across a range of therapeutic areas, including vaccines, oncology, rare diseases, internal medicine, hospitals, and inflammation and immunology. 

Furthermore, she will oversee all of Pfizer’s operations within the region, working closely with regional governments and partners to enhance healthcare access and equity.  

Her efforts will aim to ensure that Pfizer’s innovative treatments and groundbreaking therapies reach the populations most in need. 

Elif’s career with Pfizer began in 1995, and over the years, she has demonstrated strong leadership and a commitment to advancing healthcare on a global scale.  

Her most recent position saw her leading Pfizer’s ‘An Accord for a Healthier World’ initiative.  

Through this program, she worked with cross-functional teams to deliver Pfizer’s current and future medicines and vaccines on a not-for-profit basis to 45 low-income countries.  

The initiative aims to bridge the health equity gap by addressing systemic barriers and ensuring affordable access to life-saving medications. 

Before spearheading the Accord initiative, Elif held various high-ranking roles within the company.  

As the CV Metabolic and Global Brands Lead in Internal Medicine, she oversaw a portfolio of more than 200 medicines, working to enhance their global performance and ensure that crucial treatments remained accessible to patients worldwide. 

She also served as the Vaccines Lead for Emerging Markets, where she managed a US$1.4 billion portfolio. 

Elif holds a degree in Economics from Istanbul University and has completed executive programs at prestigious institutions, including Harvard Business School, Wharton, Kellogg Executive Education, and the Management Center of Europe. 

Reflecting on her appointment, she expressed gratitude for witnessing Pfizer’s transformation over nearly three decades, which she called “almost my entire career.” 

She emphasized Pfizer’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, not just for patients but also for employees at all company levels.  

As the first woman to assume a presidential role in the region, Elif expressed her excitement about continuing to build upon Pfizer’s strong foundation in MERA.  

She committed to ensuring that Pfizer’s innovative treatments and therapies are developed and accessible to those who need them, helping to bridge the healthcare equity gap. 

Patrick, who led the MERA region for over 3.5 years, expressed his confidence in the team’s ability to continue delivering exceptional results under Aral’s leadership.  

He added that he was eager to see the team reach new heights as they continue their mission to improve health outcomes across the region. 

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