2016 Jennifer Cook
Jennifer Cook named 2016 Woman of the Year
The Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) announced Jennifer Cook as the 2016 Woman of the Year.
“The HBA is extremely proud to honor Jennifer Cook as our 2016 Woman of the Year,” says Laurie Cooke, HBA CEO. “Jennifer embodies the leadership, business savvy results and commitment to inclusion that our industry needs to thrive in today’s challenging environment.”
“I am incredibly proud to see Jennifer recognized as the HBA 2016 Woman of the Year,” says Daniel O’Day, chief operating officer, Roche. “Jennifer is an exceptional leader with a combination of qualities that make her an invaluable contributor to our industry. Her outstanding business acumen, combined with her highly engaging leadership style and passion for bringing out the best in people, makes her a worthy choice for this award.”
“I am truly honored to receive this recognition,” says Jennifer. “In this period of rapid evolution for our industry, I believe we have an unprecedented opportunity to improve health outcomes for patients and societies worldwide. As HBA Woman of the Year, I feel privileged to help bring together the many remarkable women in our industry to further our impact.”
Jennifer has consistently delivered strong and meaningful results and has significantly improved Roche’s business performance in Europe since she was appointed head of pharma (her position at the time of this award) in 2013. Jennifer first joined Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, in 1987. She spent the next five years working in research and early development before joining Prizm Pharmaceuticals, a start-up biotechnology company in San Diego. Jennifer returned to Genentech in 1997, and over the next 19 years held roles of increasing responsibility in commercial operations and portfolio management, including vice president market development, senior vice president global portfolio management and senior vice president and U.S. business unit head, immunology and ophthalmology. Her work with that team in driving culture change for strategic advantage has been described in a case study and published at the Haas School, the Harvard Business School, and California Management Review.
Read the cover story on Jennifer, "HBA's Woman of the Year 2016: From Bench to Boardroom" in the April 2016 issue of HBA media partner Pharm Exec magazine.
Read Jennifer's speech on the HBA blog.
About the HBA
The Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) is a global nonprofit organization serving a community women and men in leading life sciences, biotech, pharmaceutical and supporting companies. The HBA has nearly 120 Corporate Partners and nearly 8,000 members served by more than 20 chapters and affiliates across the U.S. and Europe.