Pfizer Inc. announced on Wednesday the elevation of Chris Boshoff to the roles of Chief Scientific Officer and President of Research and Development, commencing January 1. Previously fulfilling the duties of Chief Oncology Officer and Executive Vice President, Boshoff steps into the position following the earlier announced departure of Mikael Dolsten.
In his new role, Boshoff will continue as a key member of Pfizer's Executive Leadership Team, reporting directly to Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla. He will take charge of overseeing all research and development functions across various therapeutic sectors.
Within Pfizer's Oncology R&D Division, Roger Dansey, who is currently serving as Interim Chief Oncology Officer, will report to Boshoff as of January 1. Dansey will support Boshoff in identifying a permanent Chief Oncology Officer, after which he plans to retire from Pfizer. To ensure a seamless transition, Dansey will also hand over his current responsibilities to Johanna Bendell, due to join Pfizer from Roche in 2025 as the Chief Development Officer, Oncology.
Boshoff brings over 11 years of experience at Pfizer. Before assuming his current role, he was Chief Development Officer for Oncology and Rare Disease and also led Development for Japan across all therapeutic areas.
Roger Dansey entered Pfizer through the acquisition of Seagen, where he served as Chief Development Officer, Oncology; prior to that, he spearheaded Clinical Oncology Research at Merck, notably overseeing the registration efforts for KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab).