Joseph Echevarria
PFIZERAbout Joseph J. Echevarria
Joseph J. Echevarria, age 67, has served on Pfizer’s Board since 2015. He is currently Chair of the Governance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee, bringing deep finance, audit, and risk management expertise from a 36-year career at Deloitte and his role as President of the University of Miami since October 2024; he is independent under Pfizer’s standards and routinely engaged with shareholders as Governance Chair when appropriate .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deloitte LLP | Chief Executive Officer | 2011–2014 | Led global professional services; significant audit/accounting expertise |
| Deloitte LLP | Various leadership roles (Deputy Managing Partner; Southeast Region Audit Managing Partner; U.S. Managing Partner & COO) | Multiple years (36-year tenure) | Deep operational and risk management experience |
| University of Miami (UHealth) | CEO | 2022–2024 | Academic medical center leadership |
| University of Miami | Trustee | Since 2011 | Governance of an academic institution |
| U.S. Government | Member, President’s Export Council; Presidential Commission on Election Administration | Prior service | Public policy and governance experience |
| Obama Foundation | Advisor; Chair Emeritus of My Brother’s Keeper Alliance | Current | Social impact and leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation | Chairman of the Board | Current | Financial services oversight; capital markets expertise |
| Unum Group | Director | Current | Insurance industry governance |
| Xerox Holdings Corporation | Director | 2017–2023 | Technology and operations governance |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined all current Directors other than the CEO are independent; Echevarria is independent .
- Committee memberships: Governance (Chair) and Audit (Member) .
- Attendance: Board met 7 times in 2024; each Director attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings; all Directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Executive sessions: Independent Directors hold executive sessions at every Board meeting led by the Lead Independent Director .
- Shareholder engagement: Governance Committee reviews investor feedback each meeting; Lead Independent Director and Governance Chair (Echevarria) participated in engagement when appropriate .
| Committee | Role | Meetings in 2024 | Key Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governance Committee | Chair | 5 | Board composition; director recruitment; evaluations; responsible business strategy; political/lobbying oversight; human capital policies |
| Audit Committee | Member | 11 | ERM oversight; internal controls; financial reporting; information security/cyber risk |
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Metric (2024) | Amount (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Retainer | $155,000 | Paid quarterly |
| Committee Chair Fee | $30,000 | Governance Chair |
| Equity Retainer (Stock Units) | $205,000 | Annual grant of stock units |
| 2024 Fees Earned (Cash) | $185,000 | Includes chair fee |
| 2024 Stock Awards (Grant-Date Value) | $205,000 | Units granted at $25.26 close on 4/25/2024 (general rule) |
| 2024 All Other Compensation | $0 | Matching gifts not reported for Echevarria |
| 2024 Total Compensation | $390,000 | Sum of cash and equity |
Program structure and alignment:
- Stock ownership guideline: 5x cash retainer ($775,000); all Directors comply; units may be deferred until service ends .
- No meeting fees; cash/equity as primary elements; aggregate director cash+equity capped at $800,000 under stock plan .
- Hedging/pledging prohibited; none of Directors have pledged Pfizer stock .
Performance Compensation
- Non-employee Directors receive cash retainers and stock units; no performance-based metrics, options, or bonus plans are disclosed for Directors .
- Equity awards are time-based stock units; Directors may elect deferral; no TSR/financial metric linkage is disclosed for Director compensation .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Sector | Role | Potential Interlock Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| BNY Mellon | Financial Services | Chairman | Potential ordinary-course banking/treasury relationships; independence maintained per thresholds if applicable |
| Unum Group | Insurance | Director | Insurance benefits context; no adverse independence disclosure |
| Xerox Holdings | Technology | Former Director | Historical technology supply-chain exposure; no current interlock |
Pfizer