Angela Hwang, Chief Commercial Officer and President of Pfizer's Global Biopharmaceutical Business, recently announced the appointment of this recognized health leader through her LinkedIn profile.

"I’m very pleased to share another exciting new hire for Pfizer. Maria Rivas MD will join my team as Global Chief Medical Affairs Officer and Head, Evidence Generation,” stated Hwang.

Strengthening Diverse Leadership

Hwang highlights how Rivas will drive the development of the new biopharmaceutical medical affairs department globally, helping to strengthen the scientific strategy behind its new commercialization model.

“Her organization will also be responsible for the design and creation of an integrated platform for real-world evidence in collaboration with key stakeholders across the enterprise,” noted Hwang.

Rivas’s Career

For more than 20 years, Rivas has held leadership roles in medical teams at renowned pharmaceutical companies, including Merck KGaA/EMD Serono, Merck & Co, Abbvie, Bayer Healthcare, and Eli Lilly, excelling in therapeutic areas, including Oncology, Neurology and Immunology, endocrinology, and general medicine in Pfizer's expanding portfolio.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Rivas describes herself as a “physician by training, a LatinX senior pharmaceutical executive and experienced corporate board director working at the intersection of business and health both domestically and globally, for S&P 100 companies.”

Rivas served on the corporate board of Medidata, a healthcare information technology company, where she also served as a member of the audit and compensation committees.

During her career as Chief Medical Officer, she has managed a global operation in more than 90 countries with several thousand data scientists, healthcare experts, and field staff. She is also responsible for leading global crisis management teams to ensure business continuity around the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Finally, as the highest-ranking Latina, I have led Leaders of Color groups and worked directly with the C-suite to improve diversity and inclusion in the companies I have served in,” underlined Rivas.

"Over the course of Maria’s career she has been a champion for diversity, equity and inclusion. Together, I look forward to creating even more impact for our colleagues and patients. Welcome, Maria!” concluded Hwang.