Pfizer appoints Reuters boss to board of directors

Pfizer has announced the appointment of James Smith to its board of directors with immediate effect.

Mr Smith is the president and chief executive officer of multinational media and information company Thomson Reuters. His new role at Pfizer will also see him join the firm's corporate governance and science and technology committees.

Prior to his appointment as overall leader of Thomson Reuters in January 2012, he held various key positions within the business, including heading up its professional division.

He also served as chief operating officer of Thomson and president and chief executive of Thomson Learning's academic and reference group in the years before the company's merger with Reuters.

Ian Read, Pfizer's chairman and chief executive officer, said: "We are pleased to have Jim Smith join Pfizer's board of directors. He brings leadership and operational and international business experience to Pfizer's board and will be an excellent asset to the company."

The pharmaceuticals giant is the largest of its kind in the world and is currently exploring new ways to achieve growth after recently walking away from a proposed takeover of AstraZeneca.