KIRKLAND, QC, Oct. 15, 2024 /CNW/ - An Van Gerven has been named President of Pfizer Canada ULC. An will be succeeding Najah Sampson, who held the position since May 2022 and has been appointed to lead Pfizer’s Hospital business in the United States.
Prior to this role, An was Country Manager, Pfizer Belgium Luxembourg. She was responsible for Pfizer’s commercial activities in the region, and represented four Pfizer sites located in Belgium supporting, among other activities, research, manufacturing and logistics.
An started her career as an industrial pharmacist at the Pfizer Puurs manufacturing site. In the first half of her career, she held various positions in the pharmaceutical sector, ranging from regulatory affairs, communication and corporate affairs to patient access strategies.
After completing an entrepreneurial MBA, An stepped into different business lead roles within Pfizer, in line with her passion for strategy and innovations to support patients on their health journey. She was also the mentor of different health start-up companies. An spent two years in France leading Pfizer’s Hospital business prior to returning to her home country of Belgium to take on the Country Manager role.
She looks forward to joining the Canadian organization, dedicated to driving colleague growth and above all to bringing innovation to patients: “Securing access to new therapies and vaccines brings hope to patients. That is why I am so passionate about innovation.”
An is passionate about fostering women’s leadership, and diversity, equity and inclusion. She is the mother of three sons and recharges her batteries by taking long hikes and listening to live music. Her motto is “A smile is the shortest distance between people.”
Sincere thanks to Najah Sampson
Pfizer sincerely thanks Najah Sampson for her contributions to the Canadian pharmaceutical industry and for her commitment to patients.During her time in Canada, Najah led the Canadian organization through a time of significant change, as Pfizer continued to provide vaccines and therapeutics to address COVID-19 and launched new vaccines and treatment options to address unmet needs in Canada in RSV, migraine, rare diseases and several cancers. She was very involved in several life science sector organizations, serving as a member of the Board of Directors of both Innovative Medicines Canada and BIOTECanada. The organization also made significant strides in diversity, equity and inclusion under Najah’s leadership, a demonstration of her commitment to an inclusive workplace.
Pfizer Canada ULC is the Canadian operation of Pfizer Inc., one of the world’s leading biopharmaceutical companies. At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that help extend and improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety, and value in the discovery, development, and manufacture of health care products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work to advance wellness, prevention, treatments, and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. To learn more about Pfizer Canada, visit pfizer.ca or you can follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram or YouTube.
SOURCE Pfizer Canada
