Early in David McGettigan’s career, he saw firsthand how digital innovation can transform daily life. In the 1990s, he led the creation of Mobil Oil’s Speedpass electronic payment device, which enabled millions of gas station customers to pay at the pump without cash or presenting a credit card. The popular radio-frequency identification (RFID) device was deployed 16 years before anyone ever heard of Apple Pay.
Beginning my career at ExxonMobil taught me how to work at large scale while innovating through leveraging technology
After leading many e-business achievements in the energy sector, such as the direct distribution of motor oil online to racing enthusiasts, he decided to change industries.
I wanted to do something that was more for the greater good and in a field that was intrinsically rewarding.
He made the move to pharmaceuticals 24 years ago. Currently, as Senior Vice President at Pfizer, he oversees enterprise resource programs, cloud and network services, and technology integration for acquisitions.
The ability to leverage technology and bring innovative medicines to patients is the primary driver for me and my team. It’s also very gratifying because we get to create these new capabilities and then observe the outcomes and advantages.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, he served as Pfizer’s head of digital manufacturing. McGettigan’s team created the patent-pending Digital Operations Center, which provides end-to-end visibility across the entire manufacturing network, resolving issues in real time while accelerating and scaling production. This capability became crucial during the pandemic and was leveraged to deliver hundreds of millions of vaccine doses globally.
McGettigan has taught at Temple University for more than two decades, both online as well as in person. In his Management Information Systems 5001 course, he offers MBA students a foundational overview of how technology impacts people in all business roles and shares how leaders can utilize technology for competitive advantage.
In serving on the IBIT Advisory Board, he sees an opportunity to engage with many more students.
IBIT ensures that students have the skills to meet the demands they’re going to face when they graduate,” he says. “I want to apply what I have learned in my career and play a role in providing help to students through scholarships, career counseling, and recruiting.
