We also want to congratulate those that were honored by the HBA, a global nonprofit organization of individuals and organizations from across the industry, committed to achieving gender parity in leadership positions; facilitating career and business connections; and providing effective practices that enable organizations to realize the full potential of their female talent. These awards were given at WOTY, honoring a number of people who have made significant contributions to our industry. We are proud to recognize them here. All award winners were honored at the live event on May 11 in NYC.
WOTY
The primary award (of course) is for Woman of the Year, which this year went to Bahija Jallal, PhD, executive vice president, Astra- Zeneca, and head of MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca. She has guided MedImmune through an unprecedented expansion of its pipeline; in 2007 MedImmune accounted for five percent of the overall AstraZeneca pipeline, and today it represents approximately 50 percent. Bahija has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications and holds more than 15 patents. She is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Association of the Advancement of Science, and is president of the board of directors of the Association of Women in Science.
HONORABLE MENTOR
Receiving the Honorable Mentor award was Joaquin Duato, worldwide chairman, pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson. The Honorable Mentor award recognizes an individual who demonstrates long-term advocacy for current and future women leaders.
Joaquin is a 32-year veteran of the industry. His current leadership team at Johnson & Johnson includes six female leaders—two of which lead the largest geographic regions for the company’s pharmaceutical business. He has played an instrumental role in leading the dramatic turnaround of the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceuticals business since 2011. Outside of J&J, he is current chairman of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), and an active board member of the U.S. Spain Council. His commitment to nurturing a culture of diversity was recognized in 2015 when he was named one of America’s Top 10 Hispanic Business Leaders by Hispanic Career World.
STAR
Ceci Zak received HBA’s STAR (Strategic Transformation Achievement Recognition) award. Ceci is principal and COO at Batten & Co., a strategic consulting firm within the Omnicom Group, which builds and activates ambition for corporations by operating at the intersection of business, brands and culture. The HBA STAR is someone who stands apart as a truly exemplary role model by demonstrating a long-term commitment to the HBA’s strategic goals of furthering the advancement and impact of women in the business of healthcare. Previously, Ceci was COO of healthcare at DAS/Omnicom, and has also held senior executive roles at Sanofi. She is also a board member of HealthRight International, a global NGO focused on empowering marginalized communities to live healthy lives; Julia’s Butterfly Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing funding to families with chronic and terminally ill children; and is actively involved with the Pachamama Alliance, a nonprofit that strives to empower indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest.
LUMINARIES
The HB A Luminary award was introduced in 2014 as part of the 25th anniversary of the WOTY. This year, the HB A honored 34 senior women, identified by their Corporate Partner companies, who serve as role models in their company, actively mentor and sponsor others, help advance other women’s careers, and exhibit dedication to the healthcare industry. These leaders each have more than 20 years of professional industry experience.
Also recognized at WOTY are Luminaries and Rising Stars, listed below.
Mary Lou Ambrus
SVP, communications
Pfizer Inc.
Heather Attra
VP, manufacturing and technical operations, vision care
Alcon, a Novartis division
Colleen Carter
EVP, applied innovation and customer solutions
JUICE Pharma Worldwide
Diana Cucos
SVP, global clinical monitoring
inVentiv Health
Claudia Curtis
chief employment counsel
BD
Belinda Dale
VP, supply chain
Shionogi Inc.
Fran DeGrazio
VP, scientific affairs and technical services
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.
Leslie Donworth
VP, operations
McCann Managed Markets
Rossana Gray
VP, human resources NA
Sandoz
Kathy Haines
principal
Deloitte LLP
Marie-Pierre Hellio
head of development, Japan
Pfizer Japan Inc.
Diane Holman
SVP, talent and culture
athenahealth
Julie Iskow
EVP, chief technology officer
Medidata Solutions
Tina Karunaratne
director, clinical and late stage project management
Astellas Pharma US, Inc.
Maria Eduarda Kertesz
president, US health
Johnson & Johnson
Simona King
head of finance, total company financial planning and analysis
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
Laurie Kowalevsky
senior director, global marketing immunology
Eli Lilly and Company
Christine LaFave
general manager
Indivior Canada Ltd
Maite Lasmarias
regional operations director
Quest Diagnostics
Beth Levine
SVP, associate general counsel and chief compliance officer
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Yolanda Lyle
VP and assistant general counsel
Pfizer Inc.
Teresa Montes
senior consultant
Knowledgent
Melissa Morrow
partner/EVP, director of client services
Calcium USA
Michelle Parsons
SVP, finance
Horizon Pharma PLC
Amy Pott
group VP-head of US commercial operations
Shire
Cindy Powell-Steffen
senior director, US marketing, brand activation and inside sales
Bayer
Kate Priestman
VP, R&D strategy and portfolio
GlaxoSmithKline
Alisandra Rizzolo
VP/general manager global customer experience
Stryker Corporation
Amy Spears, DVP
creative advertising and design services
Walgreens Boots Alliance
Suneela Thatte
VP, global operations
QuintilesIMS India
Alexandra von Plato
group president, North America, communications and media
Publicis Health
Brianne Weingarten
head of LBD alliance management
Purdue Pharma L.P.
Debbie Weitzman
SVP, GM Cardinal Health Puerto Rico
Cardinal Health
Ling Wu
VP, medical sciences, education and digital strategy
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Kristie Zinselmeier
VP, national and strategic accounts
Baxter International Inc.
RISING STARS
HBA Rising Stars are professionals in various sectors of the healthcare industry, including pharmaceutical, biotechnology, advertising, public relations, medical education and market research, among other fields. Also nominated by the HB A’s Corporate Partners, the Rising Stars represent various career stages and disciplines, and have demonstrated noteworthy achievements and proven attention to furthering their careers.
Tanya Botelho Silva Alcorn
VP, global supply chain
Pfizer Inc.
Jasmin Breitenbach
manager, global life sciences advisory services
EY
Susan Browne
director, discovery research and head of vivo neurobiology
Teva Pharmaceuticals
Neely Burkhardt
VP, marketing
Magellan Rx Management
Jennifer Cahill
principal
North Highland
Elena Cant
VP, head of commercial—global vaccine business unit
Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Eileen Cheigh Nakamura
senior director, portfolio management
Pfizer Inc.
Rui Che
managing director
KPMG LLP
Alexandria Cherry
director oncology marketing, Americas
Eisai Inc.
Barbra Churco
senior director, client services
Doximity, Inc.
Crystal Darby
PhD, VP, client services
The Scienomics Group
Jennifer Dee
VP, director of integrated production
McCann Torre Lazur
Anisa Dhalla
head of ethics and compliance, Americas
UCB, Inc.
Jennifer DiBenedetto
group VP, strategic services
The Lockwood Group LLC
Monique Dolecki
VP, investor relations
BD
Megan Fabry
SVP, director of engagement strategy
The Bloc
Silvia Freyre
manager, clinical operations
Inovalon
Linda Gray
VP, program direction
Health & Wellness Partners, LLC
Jennifer Gudeman
VP, medical affairs maternal health
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Libby Howe
regional business manager
Bayer
Amy Jamison
senior director, client services
Publicis Touchpoint Solutions, Inc.
Sonali Jasmin
SVP, planner
Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide
Stephanie Krogmeier
senior director, regulatory
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Saré Largay
head, commercial operations and project management
Sanofi
Beatrice Lavery
senior group director, regulatory affairs
Genentech, Inc.
Susan Logan
executive director marketing
Amgen Inc.
Leverne Marsh
executive director, marketing
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Allyson McMillan
executive director, lung and head and neck, US commercial lead
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
April Meijer
SVP, advocacy
Discovery USA
Susana Moreira
group account director
Beacon Healthcare Communications, Inc.
Adrienne Morgan
SVP, director of client services
H4B Chelsea
Elizabeth Murphy O’Keeffe
senior regional business director, neurology sales
Lundbeck
Casey Myburgh
VP
Ketchum
Maja Nelson
senior director, training and development
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc
Estelle Odet
brand activator
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt Germany
Lindsay Olson
associate creative director
Giant Creative Strategy
Carrie Palmer
VP and deputy general counsel
Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Nicole Paraggio
strategy senior manager
Accenture
Neena Patil
VP, legal affairs
Novo Nordisk
Karin Payne
global compliance quality director
RB
Magdalene Pedersen
chief of staff, global president R&D
GlaxoSmithKline
Megan Persson
VP, management supervisor
McCann Echo
Melissa Pirolli
COE lead, RWI oncology
QuintilesIMS
Els Poff
executive director, data integrity center of excellence
Merck & Co., Inc.
Alexandra Rancier
SVP, creative director
CDM New York
Michele Robertson
general counsel, hospital therapies
Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
Lynn Rochon
SVP, group account director
TBWA/WorldHealth
Krystle Rodrigues
tax director
PwC
Christine Romean
VP, client services
M3 USA Corporation
Puja Sapra
VP and CSO, oncology research and development
Pfizer Inc.
Gerianne Sarte
senior finance director, cardiovascular and specialty solutions
Johnson & Johnson
Fabienne Schlup-Hasselmann
manufacturing director, Couvet site
Celgene Corporation
Maggie Smith
group account supervisor
Concentric Health Experience
Katharine Spayde
general manager, US commercial operations
Abbott
Ariane Spidel
manager, design control
Roche Diagnostics
Heidi Spurling
associate director, corporate strategy
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals
Nicole Sweeny
product strategy lead, global hematology
Shire
Maria Tereno
VP and global chief D&I officer
Boehringer Ingelheim
Lindsey Thompson
SVP, brand business leader
Marina Maher Communications
Anna Trudel Fleming
senior manager, life sciences advisory services
EY
Lerryn Trzcinski
executive business director, regional accounts
Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.
René van der Merwe
senior director, clinical development
MedImmune
Emily Wert
manager, marketing and communications
ISPO R—International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research
Adilka White
director of healthcare solutions and implementations
UPS
