Press Releases

Marco Island, Fla. – The National Association of Manufacturers’ Manufacturing Leadership Council has named Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla the 2022 Manufacturing Leader of the Year. The award was presented to Bourla at the 18th annual Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala for the company’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During a recorded presentation, Dr. Bourla highlighted the work of Mike McDermott, Pfizer’s chief global supply officer and executive vice president and NAM Executive Committee member, and his team of more than 30,000 colleagues and contractors to ensure uninterrupted supply for Pfizer’s entire product portfolio, which includes hundreds of medicines and vaccines—more than 38 billion doses each year—and the manufacturing and global distribution of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and COVID-19 oral antiviral.

“Manufacturing in America today is stronger thanks to the leadership of Dr. Bourla and his team at Pfizer, including our Executive Committee member Mike McDermott. Albert and Mike’s passion and dedication to defeating COVID-19 set an example for thousands of companies as our industry navigated and responded to the evolving pandemic, and their leadership and innovation will make us better prepared to respond to the next crisis,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “I also want to recognize the crucial work of the other winners this year, again proving that a competitive manufacturing sector is the key to solving the problems of today and tomorrow.”

The award ceremony took place at Rethink: The Manufacturing Leadership Council Summit, which examines digital manufacturing as it intersects with technology, organizations and leadership, at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Florida June 27–29.

“Manufacturers continue to be the driving force for global economic recovery and pandemic response as they establish innovative ways to problem-solve in an increasingly complex environment,” said MLC Co-Founder, Vice President and Executive Director David R. Brousell. “Those recognized tonight have helped establish a roadmap for the future of the sector and highlight the importance of Manufacturing 4.0.”

In recognition of the highest scoring projects in each award category, the MLC also announced the following High Achievers:

AI and Machine Learning
AB InBev

Collaborative Ecosystems
Protolabs

Digital Network Connectivity
AB InBev

Digital Supply Chains
Dow Inc.

Engineering and Production Technology
General Motors

Enterprise Integration Technology
(Tie) Flex
(Tie) Johnson & Johnson

Operational Excellence
AB InBev

Sustainability
AUO Corporation

Transformative Cultures
ALOM Technologies

Editor’s Choice
Flex – LISA Line Stop Assistant

MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR – Small/Medium Enterprise
Protolabs

MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR – Large Enterprise
AB InBev

The 2023 Manufacturing Leadership Awards season will open to nominations on Aug. 15, 2022. Information about the awards program is available here.

-MLC-

Founded in 2008 and now a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s mission is to help manufacturing companies transition to the digital model of manufacturing by focusing on the technological, organizational and leadership dimensions of change. With more than 2,500 senior-level members from many of the world’s leading manufacturing companies, the MLC focuses on the intersection of advanced digital technologies and the business, identifying growth and improvement opportunities in the operation, organization and leadership of manufacturing enterprises as they pursue their journeys to Manufacturing 4.0.

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.7 million men and women, contributes $2.71 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 58% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org