Elif Aral is set to become Pfizer’s Regional President for the Middle East, Russia, and Africa from September next year to drive the business in the region and deliver scientific advancements in vaccines, oncology, rare diseases, internal medicine, hospitals, inflammation, and immunology.
Elif will be in charge of all the therapeutic areas of the MERA region in her new role while driving strategic change to increase access to healthcare to the region’s partners and governments to have Pfizer’s strong portfolio and scientific developments get to those who need it.
Elif Aral said, “I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand how Pfizer has evolved and transformed the medical industry for nearly three decades – almost my entire career. Additionally, I have seen how the company’s leadership prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion, not only for the patients in the markets they serve but also for employees at all levels and regions. I am thrilled to embark on this new chapter with Pfizer and am particularly honored to be the first woman to hold a presidential role at the company in the region”.
Elif added, “As I take on this new role, my foremost goal is to build upon the strong foundation we have established across the MERA region over the past 70 years. I am deeply committed to ensuring that our global innovative treatments and breakthrough therapies are not only developed but also made accessible as we continue to bridge the healthcare equity gap, working together with our dedicated teams and partners to drive meaningful change and improve health outcomes for communities across the region.”
Aral started in Pfizer as an assistant brand manager in 1995, and has achieved many great accomplishments in her professional life. More recently, she oversaw ‘An Accord for a Healthier World’, at Pfizer for which she had to work with interdivisional teams to offer Pfizer’s current and pipeline products to all low-middle income countries on a not-for-profit basis. As part of this, the details of the measures to be taken are presented, which include eliminating gaps that directly affect the health of the population by making medications affordable and tackling the systemic issues that limit patients’ abilities to receive medical care.
Before being appointed to lead Accord, Elif was the CV Metabolic and Global Brands Lead in Internal Medicine at the company where she had the task of overseeing more than two hundred medicines and working internationally to improve performance in addition to making sure patients had access to much needed medicines. Elif was also the Vaccines Lead of the Emerging Markets and was also in charge of $1. 4 billion portfolio. Elif has a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Istanbul University and she has also undertaken executive management courses in Harvard Business School, Wharton University, Kellogg Executive Education and Management Center of Europe.