Pedro Lichtinger begins two-year term as President of IFAH
Lichtinger sees great opportunities for industry growth and significant challenges
Brussels, Belgium, 7 November 2005: Pedro Lichtinger, President of Pfizer Animal Health, will begin his two-year term this month as President of the International Federation for Animal Health (IFAH), the Board announced today. Pedro Lichtinger succeeds Patrick James, President of Elanco Animal Health, who has led the federation for the last three years.
IFAH represents research-based companies around the world that discover, develop, manufacture and market veterinary medicines, vaccines and other healthcare products for companion animals and livestock. In 2004, the industry generated an estimated $14,000 million in global revenues.
“The animal health industry can take justifiable pride in its contributions over recent decades to help veterinarians and food-animal producers satisfy a growing world population’s demand for safe, wholesome and affordable food,” Lichtinger said. “During the same period, we have also successfully addressed a broad array of medical needs affecting our pets’ health and the quality of their lives. We are confident that there remains great opportunity for further advances in both the companion animal and livestock segments.
“As we look to the future, we also recognise that the animal health industry faces a number of challenges,” Lichtinger said. “As IFAH President and in collaboration with our member companies, I plan to focus on helping to optimise the efficiency of the regulatory process to enable the delivery of critically needed new medicines in a more timely manner.
I will also be working to educate all stakeholders about the scientific foundations and responsible use of our products in order to ensure that clinically important animal health medicines remain available to veterinarians worldwide and to raise the awareness of our industry’s contributions to animal health and human well-being.”
“On behalf of the global animal health industry, I also want to thank Pat James for his IFAH leadership over the past three years,” Lichtinger said. “Pat maintained IFAH’s focus on activities that leveraged the industry’s strengths and positioned it for enhanced future growth.”
A veteran of over 25 years in the animal health industry with SmithKline Beecham and Pfizer in the United States, Latin America and Europe, Lichtinger was named President of Pfizer Animal Health in October 2000. A native of Mexico, Lichtinger earned an engineering degree from the National University of Mexico in 1976 and an MBA degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business in 1978.
Lichtinger is currently a board member of the Resource Foundation, which focuses on Latin American sustainable development projects and the Brazil Foundation, which generates resources to promote social change in Brazil. He also serves on the Board of Governors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Ends
Note to Editors:
IFAH, the International Federation for Animal Health, is the federation representing manufacturers of veterinary medicines, vaccines and other animal health products in both developed and developing countries across five continents.
Its goal is to promote a harmonised, science-based regulatory and trade framework, and marketplace environment that supports an animal health industry which is economically viable and innovation driven, contributing to a healthy and safe food supply as well as a high level of animal health and welfare.
For further information on IFAH and a picture of Pedro Lichtinger, please visit http://www.ifahsec.org.
For further information on the topic of this press release, please contact:
Dr Peter G.H. Jones,
IFAH Executive Director
Rue Defacqz, 1 - B-1000 Brussels
Tel.: +32 (0)2 541 0111
Fax : +32 (0)2 541 0119
E-mail: ifah@ifahsec.org
Bob Fauteux,
Pfizer Animal Health
Tel.: +1 212 573 3079
E-mail: Robert.J.Fauteux@pfizer.com
