Ricciardi to Lead Pfizer Global Manufacturing

11/11/2004

Nat Ricciardi has been named President of Pfizer Global Manufacturing (PGM) and will be appointed in December to the company’s eight-member Pfizer Leadership Team headed by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Hank McKinnell, the company announced October 28.

In his new position, Ricciardi is responsible for global manufacturing as well as Pfizer’s worldwide distribution network. PGM operates plants and logistics centers at 116 sites in 37 countries and employs approximately 35,000 colleagues in the production of pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare and animal health products. Ricciardi will report to Dr. McKinnell. He succeeds John Mitchell, who will retire at the end of 2004 after a 40-year career at Pfizer.

Ricciardi has worked at Pfizer for more than 30 years in various positions of increasing responsibility in both the United States and Puerto Rico. As a member of Mitchell’s leadership team, he helped establish PGM as the premier quality-focused manufacturing operation in the pharmaceutical industry.

“Nat is a superbly qualified leader who has been a key member of the team that has built the most admired pharmaceutical manufacturing function in the world,” said McKinnell. "I am confident that his knowledge and broad view of our businesses will make him an ideal addition to the Pfizer Leadership Team."

A native of Italy, Ricciardi received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the City College of New York and a Master of Administration in Finance and International Business from Fordham University. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Mediacom Communications Corp., a cable television company based in Middletown, N.Y.

Mitchell will retire from Pfizer at the end of December. "John is an insightful and articulate leader who has made significant contributions to Pfizer’s manufacturing strategies and has played a valuable role on our leadership team," said McKinnell. “He has built a first-class, vision-driven business deserving of the number-one company in the pharmaceutical industry. On behalf of Pfizer colleagues, John’s friends and the millions of patients who have benefited from his work, I thank him for his dedicated service.”