Meet The People of PGS: Terrari

Through the “People of PGS” series, we spotlight the names and faces behind the great work we do in PGS.  Next up is Terrari, a Continuous Improvement Specialist in Sanford, North Carolina, and co-lead of the site’s Global Black Community Colleague Resource Group chapter.

Over the course of his six years at Pfizer, Terrari has directly impacted PGS’s ability to help patients. Whether it was working on the start-up and quick transition to commercial production of one of Pfizer’s rare disease medicines, in development, to help treat Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy or serving as the Integrated Manufacturing Excellence (IMEx) Deployment Lead for Sanford’s Gene Therapy operation – for Terrari, patients are why he works for Pfizer and why he loves his job.

“I’m a microbiologist by degree, but what I enjoy most is the science behind the incredible impact we have on patients.”
Terrari impacts patients every day, but in his role as a Continuous Improvement Specialist, his passion for helping others goes beyond that. He also strives to make his fellow colleagues feel included, supported and fulfilled.
 
“My goal is to create room for colleagues to harness their inner strengths and to truly feel supported in being their best,” Terrari said. “We want our colleagues to think big and create big, always with patients in mind, but we must provide them with an environment where they feel enabled to confidently do so.”
Terrari says that Pfizer’s Global Black Community (GBC) Colleague Resource Group is just one of the many avenues through which Pfizer fosters that environment. As co-lead of Sanford’s GBC chapter, as well as co-lead of the Enterprise GBC’s Programming and Meeting Excellence Pillar, Terrari has helped to promote a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace – and part of that means going beyond the walls of Pfizer and connecting with local communities.
 
Last year, Terrari and the Sanford GBC raised more than $150,000 in donations from the Sanford site to 21 different non-profit organizations throughout North Carolina, including all 10 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the state.
 
“It felt so amazing to be able to make such a significant impact in our community,” Terrari said. “It definitely confirmed that when you have bold ideas, you should never hold back, even if you have doubts. You never know what the outcome may be.”

Terrari and the GBC are also making an effort to educate students about careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) by speaking to them about what it’s like to work at Pfizer.

He recalled one conversation he had with single parents at one of the non-profits he visited.

“I could see tears in their eyes when they realized that there was a place for them in this industry,” Terrari said. “The key to developing the next generation is by exposing them to the opportunities companies like Pfizer can offer. I hope to one day see more and more people of color serving as the next leaders in STEM and I’m honored and humbled to play a role in that challenge.”