Ronald Blaylock
PFIZERAbout Ronald E. Blaylock
Independent director of Pfizer since 2017; age 65. Founder and Managing Partner of GenNx360 Capital Partners (since 2006), with prior senior investment banking roles at UBS, PaineWebber, and Citicorp, and founder of Blaylock & Company, bringing deep finance, capital markets, and risk management expertise. Currently serves on Pfizer’s Audit and Compensation Committees; Board determined he is independent. Other current public boards include CarMax, Inc. and W.R. Berkley Corporation.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| GenNx360 Capital Partners | Founder, Managing Partner | Since 2006 | Private equity leadership; finance and operational expertise applied to mid-market industrials/business services |
| Blaylock & Company | Founder, Manager | Not disclosed | Built and led investment banking practice; capital markets perspective |
| UBS | Senior management positions | Not disclosed | Investment banking/risk management experience |
| PaineWebber Group | Senior management positions | Not disclosed | Investment banking experience |
| Citicorp | Senior management positions | Not disclosed | Corporate finance/capital markets exposure |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| CarMax, Inc. | Director | Current | Public company oversight; consumer retail exposure |
| W.R. Berkley Corporation | Director | Current | Insurance/financial services oversight |
| Carnegie Hall | Board of Trustees | Current | Non-profit governance |
| NYU Stern School of Business | Board of Overseers | Current | Academic oversight |
| Mental Health Coalition | Board Member | Current | Non-profit governance |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined all directors other than CEO Albert Bourla are independent; Blaylock is independent.
- Committees: Audit and Compensation (member; not chair).
- Audit Committee qualifications: All members are independent, financially literate, and qualify as “Audit Committee Financial Experts”; Audit met 11 times in 2024.
- Compensation Committee composition: All independent, non-employee directors; Compensation met 7 times in 2024.
- Attendance: The Board met seven times in 2024; each Director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings; all Directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting.
- Board leadership: Lead Independent Director is Shantanu Narayen; independent directors hold executive sessions at every Board meeting.
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Retainer ($) | Equity Grant ($) | Other ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 155,000 | 205,000 | — | 360,000 |
- Program terms: Annual cash retainer $155,000 and annual grant of $205,000 in Pfizer stock units; committee chair add-on $30,000; Lead Independent Director add-on $50,000. Directors must hold stock/units equal to 5x cash retainer ($775,000). Aggregate cash+equity to a non-employee director capped at $800,000 per 12 months.
- Matching gifts: Eligible for Pfizer Foundation match up to $20,000 per year.
Performance Compensation
- Non-employee director pay is retainer-based cash and annual stock units; no options, bonuses, or performance-metric-based awards are disclosed for directors. No meeting fees disclosed.
| Performance Metric | Target | Actual | Payout Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not applicable to non-employee director compensation | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committee Roles | Shared Interlocks with PFE Directors |
|---|---|---|---|
| CarMax, Inc. | Director | Not disclosed | None disclosed in proxy |
| W.R. Berkley Corporation | Director | Not disclosed | None disclosed in proxy |
- Independence standards note certain ordinary-course transactions below thresholds are deemed immaterial; no related-party transactions disclosed involving Blaylock.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Business leadership and operations; Finance & accounting; Risk management; service on compensation committees of other public companies enhances Compensation Committee insights.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Common Shares | Notes | Pfizer Stock Units (Director Program) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald E. Blaylock | 13,000 | Includes 4,750 shares held in names of family members or trust; Blaylock disclaims beneficial ownership of these 4,750 shares. | 61,387 units |
- Ownership guidelines: Directors must hold ≥5x cash retainer; “Currently all Directors comply.”
- Pledging/hedging: Directors prohibited from pledging or hedging Pfizer stock; none of our Directors has pledged Pfizer stock; broader Director Code and hedging policy in place.
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Blaylock adds financial and risk expertise to Audit and Compensation Committees; Audit financial expert designation strengthens financial oversight. Attendance thresholds met at Board and committee levels.
- Alignment and incentives: Mix of cash retainer plus stock units and stringent ownership guidelines support alignment; no performance-based director pay avoids metric manipulation risk but relies on equity exposure for alignment.
- Conflicts and related-party exposure: No Blaylock-related transactions disclosed; Board’s Related Person Transaction policy oversight active; independence confirmed.
- Time commitments: Blaylock serves on two public boards; Governance Committee reviewed director commitments and determined all Directors have sufficient time, energy, and attention to serve effectively.
RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Blaylock (no related-party transactions, no pledging, independence affirmed).