Lidia Fonseca influences Pfizer’s strategic direction and operations. Her leadership has shaped the company’s approach to innovation and healthcare engagement. She has been recognized multiple times among the 50 Most Powerful Latinas by the Association of Latino Professionals for America.
Her Position at Pfizer
Lidia Fonseca serves as Pfizer’s Executive Vice President, Chief Digital and Technology Officer. She leads the company’s digital, AI, and technology strategy. She also oversees Learning and Development and Business Process Excellence. This role integrates advanced technology into Pfizer’s global operations, spanning 36 plants and 149 markets.
Driving Digital Transformation
Fonseca drives digital innovation, data strategy, and AI integration at Pfizer. Her efforts improve patient health outcomes, accelerate medicine delivery, and foster breakthrough therapies. For instance, Pfizer established a Scientific Data Cloud with AWS, speeding up computational research and data analysis for drug development. This platform uses AI to identify and design new molecules, accelerating compounds from discovery to development.
Pfizer’s digital operations center provides an end-to-end view of manufacturing and supply, enabling real-time prediction and adjustment, leading to a 20% increase in throughput. Fonseca’s team also accelerated the COVID-19 vaccine, Comirnaty, and oral treatment, Paxlovid, reducing the typical 8-10 year development timeline to approximately 269 days. This was achieved using real-time predictive models for clinical trial site selection and AI/machine learning for rapid data analysis.
Patient engagement has seen digital advancements under her leadership, including Pfizer Digital Companion™. This suite features the Mabu wellness coach, an AI-powered robot for patient well-being and treatment, and the LivingWith™ app, which connects cancer patients with support and helps manage doctor visit information. Pfizer has also explored drone delivery pilot programs in remote areas, such as the Dominican Republic, delivering medications to over 100 patients during a six-week pilot.
Shaping Pfizer’s Future
Fonseca’s contributions position Pfizer for future growth and competitive advantage by embedding digital strategies. She envisions patients using mobile and wearable technologies for personalized, real-time health support. This includes leveraging digital screening, diagnostics, interventions, and biomarkers to improve health outcomes and treatment adherence.
Quantum computing will accelerate discovery and development, while digital technologies optimize clinical trial design through advanced predictive analytics. Many future clinical trials will be decentralized, enhancing patient convenience. Fonseca’s leadership in digital transformation has driven efficiency, saving $47 million annually through cloud migration, and fostered an adaptable, innovation-focused culture.