Math, art and media: Pfizer’s Julianne O’Connell strikes a professional balance

Julianne O’Connell’s career-defining realization occurred during her time at The Walt Disney Company, which she joined in 2017 as customer engagement manager, programmatic. While she’d previously worked in a range of programmatic-adjacent roles, O’Connell found herself most engaged during her interactions with the company’s media measurement teams.

“Their work was so interesting and so valuable,” she recalls. “Any PowerPoint they’d send over to me, I’d read back to front. I was like, ‘Tell me more about testing control methodologies. Give me more of this.’”

O’Connell made her way over to the analytics side of the business before too long, ultimately rising to the post of manager, marketing analytics and optimization. She then spent nearly three years leading Panera Bread’s marketing analytics team before becoming one of the first arrivals to Pfizer’s nascent in-house media group. It numbered four people when O’Connell joined in August 2024; as of mid-October 2025, it was 23 strong with more hires on the way.

As senior manager, media measurement and optimization, O’Connell has assessed the performance of myriad brands in Pfizer’s portfolio and implemented a progressive test-and-learn measurement process. It’s a role custom-tailored to both her strengths and her interests.

“What made me realize how much I love doing this was when I wasn’t on the measurement team at Disney,” she says. “I loved it from afar.”

Left brain vs. right brain

O’Connell grew up in Boston, where she was recognized at an early age as a precocious artist. She initially planned to make a career of it, taking classes at the Rhode Island School of Design during high school and enrolling at the Maryland Institute College of Art after graduation. But a second enthusiasm, for math, started to pull at her.

While math and art are often framed as non-overlapping affinities, supposedly pitting left brain against right, O’Connell has long sensed a kinship between them. “Math has always inspired my art, even in what I do now,” she explains. “So much of the analytics function is storytelling through the lens of data visualization. Even simple things, like understanding color theory, have helped me become a much better data storyteller.”

Hoping to pursue both math and art simultaneously, O’Connell transferred to New York University. She graduated with a degree in mathematics and a minor in studio art. “I didn’t see any reason why I couldn’t do both,” she says. Graphic design emerged as a reliable side job during these years, with O’Connell working on everything from book covers to games to billboards.

She found her way into programmatic media courtesy of a NYU job board posting, which offered an option for individuals with a math background who didn’t want to work in finance. “So many people in my program went to JP Morgan and those types of jobs. That wasn’t for me,” O’Connell says.

At IAC and then Assembly Global, she honed her programmatic skills. O’Connell enjoyed the agency environment during her nearly two years at Assembly, especially the early exposure she had to clients from the worlds of entertainment and pharma. But she realized even then that an in-house role would suit her best.

“When you’re doing analytics on the brand side, you get to see how all the various teams work together. It gives you a level of depth you can’t get at an agency,” she notes.

That desire to soak up information, to take it all in, is what Pfizer marketing and omnichannel consultant Lyndsay Handlos believes elevates O’Connell above others in similar roles at other pharma organizations. “She’s constantly seeking to understand different parts of the business – not just out of curiosity, but so she can bring those insights back to her own role,” she says.

To that point, O’Connell and her Pfizer media teammates regularly sit in on consumer insights and business analytics group meetings. Doing so, O’Connell believes, empowers the team to add color and context to the measurement story.

“It’s a thoughtful approach,” she says.

A sense of mission

So far, Pfizer’s push to grow its in-house measurement function has gone over well internally: O’Connell reports that surveys of the company’s marketers have shown a spike in overall satisfaction. The challenges, she notes, have mostly stemmed from the vastness of Pfizer’s corporate imprint.

“As a relatively new team, we had to learn about all the different brands and what they’re looking for. We had to tailor our style to what people wanted and needed from us,” she explains.

Not that she expected otherwise, but O’Connell has come to love the pharma business. She’s a big believer in professional and organizational mission, and Pfizer checks all of her boxes in this regard.

“Disney has a mission I align with, which is bringing joy into people’s lives and providing these incredible, fun experiences at their theme parks,” she says. “Here, we’re coming up with breakthrough medicines and treatments that change lives. Who wouldn’t want to work for a company like that?”

O’Connell also appreciates the STEM-adjacency of her role. “Pharma is different from any other business in the world, but people with a science background or a math background like mine fit in really well,” she adds.

Don’t expect her to leave for greener pastures anytime soon. O’Connell is fascinated by AI’s potential to revolutionize pharma – its media, marketing, science and more – and hopes to start integrating it into her day-to-day workflow before too long. Handlos, for her part, sees big things ahead: “I could see Julianne leading a high-performing strategy or analytics team, possibly at a global level.” Pfizer director, media measurement and campaign optimization Stacy Chatz agrees, adding, “Julianne will undoubtedly be a leader throughout her career. She is motivating and encouraging.”

O’Connell will also make time to indulge what she calls her “artsy side.” She continues to work in watercolor and, should she move out of New York City, plans to set up a personal art studio wherever she lands. She enjoys cooking (“my husband is my food tester, which means he’s very brave”) and hopes to continue traveling during her breaks from the office.

“Different environments are good for you at different points in your life,” she says. “This one is perfect for me.”

This profile is part of the solli Elevate series, celebrating the Next Generation of Pharma Media Leaders. View all profiles here