Time Named Pfizer CIO Executive of the Year
The 31-year Pfizer veteran led the company through a significant shift in its internal technology and AI strategy.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Healthcare
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Time has named Pfizer Chief Information Officer Dennis Hancock as an Executive of the Year. Hancock is recognized for restructuring the company's technology operations to drive digital innovation.
Why it matters
The change aims to combat organizational inertia by decentralizing artificial intelligence projects, allowing individual divisions to move faster. This shift positions the 177-year-old pharmaceutical giant to become a leader in AI-forward operations.
Dennis Hancock has dedicated 31 years to Pfizer, a company with a 177-year history in the pharmaceutical sector. This organizational transformation marks a departure from the company's long-standing central team model.
The players
Dennis Hancock
He serves as the Chief Information Officer at Pfizer and was named an Executive of the Year by Time.
Pfizer
It is a 177-year-old multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation.
Time
It is a major American news magazine that publishes annual lists recognizing notable business leaders.
The details
Pfizer transitioned from a central team model to a decentralized division model, granting individual units the autonomy to manage their own artificial intelligence projects. While divisions handle their own initiatives, a central group remains responsible for providing underlying software and safety protocols.
Timeline
Dennis Hancock took over technology leadership at Pfizer in 2026.
The Health Answers by Pfizer app was built by Hancock in 2024.
Market Landscape
This transition to a decentralized model reflects a growing trend of legacy pharmaceutical companies adopting agile tech-focused structures to remain competitive. By empowering individual divisions, Pfizer aims to outpace industry peers in the rapid deployment of artificial intelligence.
Customers may notice faster development cycles for digital health tools as individual divisions take ownership of their own AI projects. This strategy intends to provide more robust digital support services for patients through faster internal innovation.
The takeaway
Embracing a decentralized structure can help established companies overcome inertia and accelerate digital transformation. Leaders looking to modernize should consider if their current centralized frameworks are stifling divisional autonomy and rapid project execution.
Further reading
Learn more about the evolving landscape of Healthcare on our dedicated industry page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TIME.
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