Pfizer CEO Awarded The Genesis Prize

On Wednesday, January 19, The Genesis Prize Foundation announced Pfizer’s Dr. Albert Bourla as the 2022 Genesis Prize Laureate. As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Bourla leads Pfizer in its purpose to create “breakthroughs that change patients’ lives.”

Investing more than $2 billion dollars, and without compromising quality or integrity, Bourla inspired colleagues to deliver a safe and effective vaccine in record time: eight months. This process typically takes between eight and 10 years. 

The Genesis Prize Committee noted Bourla’s leadership, determination and willingness to assume great risks, as well as his pride in his Jewish identity and heritage. 

“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Albert Bourla to the distinguished family of Genesis Prize Laureates,” said Co-Founder and Chairman of The Genesis Prize Foundation Stan Polovets. “Dr. Bourla personifies two of the most fundamental Jewish values: the commitment to the sanctity of life and to repairing the world. And while the pandemic is far from over, millions of people are alive and healthy because of what Dr. Bourla and his team at Pfizer have accomplished.”

“I did not set out to live a public life,” Bourla said. “And I never could have imagined that I might one day receive the profound honor of The Genesis Prize and stand alongside my extraordinary fellow nominees. I accept it humbly and on behalf of all my Pfizer colleagues who answered the urgent call of history these past two years and together bent the arc of our common destiny.” 

Bourla has spent more than 25 years in senior positions at Pfizer. After taking the reins as CEO in January 2019, he accelerated Pfizer’s transformation to a more science-driven, innovative company. To create a culture where Pfizer’s people and science could thrive, Bourla and his team established Pfizer’s Purpose Blueprint, which includes the four core values of courage, excellence, equity and joy.

In announcing the selection of Bourla, The Genesis Prize Foundation also noted the wide-ranging contribution of numerous Jewish scientists, doctors and healthcare officials in helping to save lives during the pandemic. 

“This is a very proud moment, not just for Dr. Bourla, but for the entire Jewish community,” said Polovets. 

The Foundation specifically highlighted the contributions of Dr. Drew Weissman, professor of Vaccine Research, University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Mikael Dolsten, chief scientific officer, Pfizer; Dr. Tal Zaks, chief medical officer of Moderna during the development of the mRNA 1273 vaccine; Dr. Joanne Waldstreicher, chief medical officer, Johnson & Johnson; Alexander Gintsburg, director, and Dr. Anatoly Altstein, chief scientist, Gamaleya Institute for Epidemiology and Microbiology; Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Jeffrey Zients, the White House Coronavirus Response coordinator.

“Dr. Bourla is a bright star in the constellation of outstanding Jewish scientists and doctors at the forefront of fighting the pandemic,” Polovets said.

Launched in 2013, The Genesis Prize is financed through a permanent endowment of $100 million by The Genesis Prize Foundation.

Bourla asked The Foundation to direct his million-dollar award to projects aimed at preserving the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. 

As established by inaugural Laureate Michael Bloomberg, all Genesis Prize honorees have donated their monetary award to philanthropic causes. Bourla asked The Foundation to direct his million-dollar award to projects aimed at preserving the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. His emphasis is on the tragedy suffered by the Greek Jewish community. Bourla was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, and his parents were among only 2,000 survivors from a once-thriving, ancient Jewish community of 50,000.

Dr. Bourla is the ninth Genesis Prize Laureate, most recently following filmmaker and philanthropist Steven Spielberg (2021) and human rights activist Natan Sharansky (2020).

Dubbed the “Jewish Nobel” by Time Magazine, the annual $1 million Genesis Prize honors extraordinary individuals for their outstanding professional achievement and contribution to humanity, as well as commitment to Jewish values. The President of Israel Isaac Herzog will present the Genesis Prize to Bourla at a ceremony in Jerusalem planned for June 29.

“I was brought up in a Jewish family who believed that each of us is only as strong as the bonds of our community, and that we are all called upon by God to repair the world,” Bourla said. “I look forward to being in Jerusalem to accept this honor in person, which symbolizes the triumph of science and a great hope for our future.”