The HBA Announces 2026 Class of Rising Star and Luminary Honorees
Honoring the leaders accelerating innovation, elevating talent, and driving meaningful impact across the global health ecosystem.
The Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) today announced its 2026 Class of Rising Stars and Luminaries, honoring more than 170 exceptional professionals who are advancing innovation and impact across the global health and life sciences industries.
Nominated by HBA Corporate Partners, these honorees represent both the next generation and the current vanguard of leadership spanning biotech, pharmaceuticals, providers, payers, and technology.
Rising Stars are early-career professionals recognized for their outstanding performance, collaborative leadership, and growing influence within their organizations. Luminaries are established leaders distinguished by their sustained impact, commitment to mentoring others, and dedication to strengthening the industry’s talent pipeline.
Together, the 2026 honorees are recognized not only for what they have achieved, but for how they lead: by connecting people, accelerating leadership at every level, strengthening the talent pipeline, and championing growth across the health ecosystem.
“This year’s HBA Rising Stars and Luminaries represent the very best of what our industry can be,” said Mary Stutts, CEO of the HBA. “They are leaders who not only deliver results but lift others as they rise. Their impact extends far beyond their roles, shaping stronger organizations and a more innovative future for healthcare and life sciences worldwide.”
The 2026 honorees will be celebrated throughout the year across HBA programming, events, and initiatives culminating in recognition at the Global Ascension Leadership Experience on 23-24 April. As part of The Experience, Rising Stars and Luminaries will participate in high-impact networking and immersive leadership development experiences designed to further amplify their influence and contributions to the industry.
There is still time to join the HBA in San Diego to celebrate the 2026 Rising Stars and Luminaires as well as the 2026 Woman of the Year, Honorable Mentor, STAR, the Inaugural Global Impact Award winner, and the Global Impact Award Honorable Mention. Register for the Global Ascension Leadership Experience to help the HBA recognize these distinguished honorees.
Read the full list of the 2026 HBA Rising Stars and Luminaries below:
2026 HBA Rising Stars
Jennifer Olson | Abbott
Mariana Nelson | AbbVie Inc.
Kiearrah Lawrence | AbbVie Inc.
Christina Chou | Accenture
Heather Reeves| Advanced Clinical
Sam Morley | Advanced Clinical
Iliana García | Alivia Health
Lauren Alves | Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Daniela Musumeci | Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Jennifer Petty | Alora Pharmaceuticals, LLC
Emily Drayer | Altos Labs
Tracy Schorner | Amgen
Maureen Ptasinski | Amplity
Michelle LaRosa | Apellis Pharmaceuticals
Janine Buonato | Arcellx
Sarah Grant | AstraZeneca
Sara O'Donnell | athenahealth
Caroline Fairfax | Atlas
Jennie Merrifield | Bayer AG
Kara Eaton | Bayer AG
Jessica Klass | BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.
Bahar Demirdirek, PhD | Bristol Myers Squibb
Sophie Draper | Butler/Till
Brendan Leddy | Calcium+Company
Kate Sorensen | Cartesian Therapeutics
Nicole Barnor | Cullinan Therapeutics
Yu-Ri Chae | Daiichi Sankyo
Kelley Janosko | Daiichi Sankyo
Meredith Lovegrove | Doximity
Maire Jung | Eli Lilly and Company
Deanna Horner | EVERSANA
Shirley Plews | Ferring Pharmaceuticals, USA
Emily Julius | Fingerpaint Group
Flavia Llimona | Fortrea
Laura Højland Larsen | Genmab US, Inc.
Tashica Amirgholizadeh | Gilead Sciences
Devi SenGupta | Gilead Sciences
Eva Hellman | Haemonetics Corporation
Jenn Bridwell | Impiricus
Shannon Doyle | imre Health
Ann O'Brien | Incyte
Josephine Fedou | Ipsen
Ashley Laursen | Ipsen
Dairin Pernet | IQVIA
Maria Jose Cook | ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research
Eloho Ojabunor | Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Anna Cittarella | Johnson & Johnson
Ashton Jacoby | Johnson & Johnson
Dasha Polyarskaya | Kyowa Kirin
Kim Hembrook | Lundbeck US
Molly Simons | Merge
Kelsey Gilbert | Millennium Medical Education Resources Ltd.
Martina Scionti | Novartis
Amrita Sawhney | Novartis
Susan Griffin | Novo Nordisk
Kelly Ressel | Novo Nordisk
Tali Voloshin-Sela | Novocure
Peggy Cossean Schenck | Organon
Shawn Takiguchi| Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
Marissa Puc | PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy
Kara Alfonso | Pfizer Inc.
Serra Uluisik | Pfizer Inc.
Roshanak T. Semnani, PhD | Precigen
Samantha Akhzar | PrescriberPoint
Caitlin Berry | Prime Therapeutics
Anna Sim | ProcDNA LLC
Katy Marcum | QuidelOrtho
Justine Han | Red Nucleus Solutions, LLC
Anwesha Dey | Roche Genentech
Maria Chitty-Lopez | Rocket Pharmaceuticals
Sarah Zahlmann | Sanofi
Lindsay Macrino | Shionogi Inc.
Bhavisha Desai | Sobi Inc. (North America)
Sarah Hendry | Spherix Global Insights
Townes Denemark | Syneos Health
Vanessa Akpore | Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Allana Sanborn | Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Jenny Gallo | Teva Pharmaceuticals
Amanda Casey | The HWP Group
Valeria Boers Trilles | Trinity Life Sciences
Alexandria Harrold | UCB, Inc.
Rose Sumrall | Underscore Marketing
Pavithra Kannan | ZS
2026 Luminaries
Julie Manalili | Abbott
Ragad Attar | AbbVie Inc.
Danielle Vaphides | Accenture
Annabel de Maria | Alira Health | Posthumous Honor
Janine Shea | Alkermes
Heather Jones | Alora Pharmaceuticals, LLC
Michelle Geller | Amgen
Kelly Carter | Amgen
Margaret Faul | Amgen
Katie Cafferky | Apellis Pharmaceuticals
Beth DelGiacco | Argenx
Leora Horn | AstraZeneca
Amy Navitsky | athenahealth
Bonnie Finger | Bayer AG
Kate Wetzel | BD
Letticia Atkins | BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.
Amy Turnquist | BIP
Sydney Klein | Bristol Myers Squibb
Kate Bogumil | Bristol Myers Squibb
Jennifer Dudinak | Bristol Myers Squibb
Wendy Emerson | Butler/Till
Dina Schneider | Cartesian Therapeutics
Tina Trombetta | CMI Media Group
Austyn Thorne | Compas
Mareike Lochte | Daiichi Sankyo
Elly Barry | Day One Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
Erin Gronczewski | Deerfield Group LLC
Traci Mizoguchi | Deloitte LLP
Jessica McCann| Doximity
Hanna Svanback | Eli Lilly and Company
Elizabeth Ann Van Sant Hoffman | Eli Lilly and Company
Jamie Portnoff | Eliquent Life Sciences
Anne Marie Robertson | EVERSANA
Heather Meade | EY
Laura Yoars | Fingerpaint Group
Julia Casey | GE HealthCare
Heidi Seerden | GE HealthCare
Tricia Clark | GE HealthCare
Amy Whited | Genmab US, Inc.
Mandy Ye | Genmab US, Inc.
Maria Rio | Gilead Sciences
Michele Houghton-Coritz | Incyte
Nareda Mills | Inizio Engage
Ashley Tappan | Insigniam
Maria Christina Fernandez-Gonzalez | Integra LifeSciences
Candice Snyder | IQVIA
Kristin Bhavnani | Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Laetitia Decroix-Guilloux | Johnson & Johnson
Molly Poarch | Lundbeck US
Denise Davies | Neurelis, Inc.
Denise Prindiville | Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
Ashley Duff | Novartis
Rachel Morgan | Novartis
Jill Fallows Macaluso | Novo Nordisk
Kim Dignan | Novocure
Julie Pentz | Organon
Shobana Narayanan | Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
Nicole Robling | Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
Cindy Alvarado | Pacira Biosciences, Inc.
Kristen Williams | Pacira Biosciences, Inc.
Leslie Johnston | Parexel International
Lydia Crowe | Petauri Health
Megan O'Meara | Pfizer Inc.
Janine Small | Pfizer Inc.
Alison O'Neill | Pfizer Inc.
Ali Kneafsey | Pivot Design
Amy R. Lankford, PhD | Precigen
Nicole Bradley | Publicis Health
Karen McCarthy | Purdue Pharma L.P.
Beth Bachman | QuidelOrtho
Suzanne Jacobs | Real Chemistry
Kristina Sauter | Red Nucleus Solutions, LLC
Cheryl Lubbert | Reverba Global
Rachel Frizberg | Roche Genentech
Corinne Dive-Reclus | Roche Genentech
Monisha Nair | RxPx
Helen Motamen | Sanofi
Linda Santi | Sanofi
Anne Erickson | Savara
Christine Slover | Shionogi Inc.
Michelle Vickroy | Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
Brandi Walker | Syneos Health
Vanessa Gleason | Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Sara Siddiqi | Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Tiffany Gamble | Teva Pharmaceuticals
Catherine Rives | UCB, Inc.
Victoria Glascott | Valeris
Nataliya Andreychuk | Viseven