Meet The People Of PGS: John

Through the “People of PGS” series, we continue to spotlight the names and faces behind the great work we do in PGS. Next up is John, a Digital Business Analyst in Ireland who served as an official at the Tokyo Olympics this summer. 

As a Digital Business Analyst, John ensures the Pfizer Digital systems at a Pfizer facility in Ireland run smoothly.  He works with stakeholders from across the site to understand their business requirements and collaborates with Pfizer Digital to identify solutions. 

“I would consider myself a people person, so I enjoy supporting colleagues on business queries or escalations for Pfizer Digital support, and deploying new digital solutions,” John said. 

Typically, a workday for John starts with a meeting using the Digital Operations Center – Pfizer’s Visual Management and Action Tracking tool that tracks metrics related to safety, quality, supply, finance and colleagues. 

But this summer, some of John’s days looked quite different – as he spent two weeks in Tokyo, Japan, serving as an official at the Olympic Games.  For John, who has officiated in past World and European athletic championships, serving at the Olympics was an especially memorable experience. 

“In Tokyo, I was a member of the Jury of Appeal for athletics (track & field, marathon running and race walking).  The referee of the event makes decisions on any incidents that arise.  Should the athlete or team not be satisfied with the decision, they have the right to appeal,” John explained.  “The Jury of Appeal, which consists of five members including a Chair, will then review the evidence and make the final decision.” 

The process to become an Olympic official is quite rigorous, as it includes written and oral exams, with multiple levels and ranks to get through in order to work at the Olympics.  For John, it was an exciting milestone after an already impressive career as an athlete, administrator and official.  He has been elected to many positions, including being one of only four Irish people ever elected to a World Athletics committee in its century-long history.  Earlier this year, he also achieved the honor of being elected as President of Athletics Ireland. 

“As a teenager, I competed in athletics and had some success – winning national and regional championships. I had an ambition to compete in the Olympics, but due to injury and other factors, my competitive career came to an end,” he said.  “The sport had given me so much in those years that I wanted to give back through the administrative and officiating pathways.  While officiating in Tokyo was a lifelong dream and something I’ll never forget, I always look forward to officiating at a local level and seeing young athletes progress through the ranks.” 

Congratulations, John, on this incredible career milestone, and thank you for all you do to support PGS!