NEW YORK – The National Father’s Day Committee announced on February 24 that Dr. Albert Bourla, CVM, PhD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer, will accept the 2021 Father of the Year Award on behalf of all Pfizer employees, according to a news release. The company’s groundbreaking scientific breakthroughs enabled Pfizer to co-create one of the COVID-19 vaccines that are now being distributed globally. The 79th Annual Father of the Year Awards will be presented virtually on Thursday, June 17, 2021. As part of the Council’s commitment to supporting meaningful philanthropies aiding mothers, fathers and children, the awards event will benefit Save the Children’s U.S. Programs and Advocacy. For tickets and sponsorship, please contact the Council office at 212-594-5977 or www.fathersdaycouncil.org.

“During this extremely challenging year for families globally, we are privileged to have the opportunity to celebrate employees at Pfizer, who have made such crucial contributions to science and medicine during the pandemic,” said Dan Orwig, President and CEO of the Father’s Day/Mother’s Day Council. “Their efforts have resulted in a safe and effective vaccine that is now giving us all hope that this worldwide crisis will soon be managed. We’re honored to have Dr. Bourla accept this award on their behalf and we respect and admire the determination and leadership he has shown over his career, especially throughout the pandemic.”

During his more than 25 years at Pfizer, Dr. Bourla has built a diverse and successful career, holding a number of senior global positions across a range of markets and disciplines. Prior to taking the reins as CEO in January 2019, Dr. Bourla served as Pfizer’s Chief Operating Officer. He also formerly served as Group President of Pfizer Innovative Health and created the Patient and Health Impact Group, which is dedicated to developing solutions for increasing patient access, demonstrating the value of Pfizer’s medications and ensuring broader business model innovation. He began his Pfizer career in 1993 in the Animal Health Division as Technical Director of Greece. He held positions of increasing responsibility within Animal Health across Europe, before moving to Pfizer’s New York Global Headquarters in 2001.

A Thessaloniki native, Dr. Bourla lives in New York with his wife and their children. He is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and holds a PhD in the Biotechnology of Reproduction from the Veterinary School of Aristotle University. In 2020, he was ranked as America’s top CEO in the Pharmaceuticals sector by Institutional Investor magazine. Dr. Bourla is on the executive committee of The Partnership for New York City, a vice president of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations, and is a director on the boards of Pfizer, Inc.; The Pfizer Foundation; PhRMA; and Catalyst. He is also a Trustee of the United States Council for International Business and a member of the Business Roundtable and the Business Council.

The National Father’s Day/Mother’s Day Council, Inc. has donated more than $30 million to date to meaningful charities nationwide.

About The National Father’s Day Committee

The National Father’s Day Committee is part of the Father’s Day/Mother’s Day Council, Inc., a non-profit association that has as its mission the recognition and awarding of honors to role model contemporary fathers and mothers, while at the same time contributing to issues affecting the life and well-being of men, women and families. Past honorees have included Presidents Joseph Biden, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, Generals Douglas MacArthur, Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf, retail veteran Terry Lundgren, sports notables Arthur Ashe, Jim Kelly and Michael “Coach K” Krzyzewski, and communications leaders Tim Russert and Harry Smith. To learn more about The National Father’s Day Council, visit our website at www.fathersdaycouncil.org.

About Save the Children’s U.S. Programs

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since its founding more than 100 years ago, the organization has changed the lives of more than 1 billion children. In the United States and around the world, they give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. Here in the U.S., Save the Children is focused on ensuring kids are ready for kindergarten and reaching key reading and math milestones at the end of third grade and that kids are continuing to learn and receive the nutrition they need during the coronavirus pandemic. More information is available online: https://www.savethechildren.org.