2016 HBA 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. Nominated by the HBA's Corporate Partners, the Rising Stars represent various career stages and disciplines, and have demonstrated noteworthy achievements and proven attention to furthering their careers.

Sara Allen, director of digital 
JUICE Pharma Worldwide

Susan Asante-Abedi, senior principal  
IMS Consulting Group

Nyra Bannis, director of patient services  
Shire

Chiara Bergerone, senior business director Europe 
BD

Bárbara Büchel, vice president, global business director 
Indigenus, the global network of the bloc

Joan Cannon, national director, medical science liaisons 
Lundbeck

Kris Cappo, director, forecasting 
Teva Pharmaceuticals

Elizabeth Ciccio, vice president of marketing 
Skipta

Kelly Cullen, vice president, account group supervisor  
Create NYC

Paula Dantas, senior tax manager 
EY

Christine Dellanno, US regulatory healthcare manager 
RB

Nancy Shore DiLella, senior associate general counsel 
Genentech Inc

Belinda N. Drew, deputy director, global hemophilia strategic marketing communications and excellence 
Bayer

Raffaella Faggioni, senior director, research and development
MedImmune, the biologics arm of AstraZeneca

Carla Fernandez, vice president, sales 
Cardinal Health

MaryBeth Forte, director, human resources business partner 
Daiichi-Sankyo Inc.

Gina Fusaro, PhD, senior director, global scientific communications, solid tumors and early pipeline 
Celgene Corp.

Adrienne D. Gonzalez, senior counsel, litigation and government investigations 
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

Catherine Goss, senior vice president, managing director 
Ogilvy CommonHealth

Kasey Quinn Griffin, associate director, clinical operations 
Quintiles, Inc.

Debra Harris, senior director, marketing solutions 
Healthcasts

Carolyn Higgins, senior scientist, research and development program leader 
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals

Michelle R. Horton, principal 
PwC

Shauna Horvath, director of client services 
Cambridge BioMarketing, a division of Everyday Health, Inc

Samina Kanwar, PhD, associate vice president and head of life cycle management COE, global human health 
Merck & Co, Inc

Vildan Kehr, divisional vice president, global talent acquisition 
Abbott

Irina Kusnezow, manager 
EY

Sue Lambert, senior director of customer experience 
Thermo Fisher Scientific

Suzanne E. Maahs, PharmD, associate director in clinical sciences and innovation, translational medicine 
Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Heather McCollum, director, compliance 
Shionogi Inc

Lisa J. Micarelli, vice presdient, account strategy 
McCann Managed Markets

Kim Milnes, director, global strategic internal communications 
Bayer

Phuong Khanh (P.K.) Morrow, MD, executive medical director 
Amgen

April Mulroney, managing director, Medidata payments 
Medidata

Christa Murphy, director, human resources 
Eisai Inc.

Pauline Ng, vice president, group account supervisor 
Phase Five Communications, a division of ghg

Lauren Michelle Nook, vice president, management supervisor 
McCann Echo

Ebele Ola, MD, director, medical affairs 
Johnson & Johnson

Eliza Oristano, assistant vice president 
Makovsky

Caroline Pak, PharmD, medical editor-in-chief 
Pfizer Inc

Kelly Payne, leader - global business solutions the Americas 
Eli Lilly and Company

Veronica Pickens, senior director, compliance and delegation 
Inovalon Inc.

Michelle T. Quinn, vice president, head legal, generics 
Sandoz Inc.

Sarah Radicsh, vice president, account group supervisor 
Havas Life New York

Suma Ramadas, PhD, managing director, medical affairs 
inVentiv Health Consulting, formerly Campbell Alliance

Shannon Resetich, global franchise head
Baxalta

Kimberly Robinson, vice president, management supervisor 
Giant Creative Strategy

Emery Rogers, account director 
TBWA\WorldHealth

Nicole E. Romano, senior director, client services 
Publicis Touchpoint Solutions

Jody Russell, talent partner 
UCB

Eugenia A. Rutenberg, business planning 
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc

Melissa R. Scherkoske, vice president, group account director 
Discovery USA

Tara Schweitzer, national account director 
Boehringer Ingelheim

Mona M. Scrofano, senior director, scientific and competitive analysis 
Takeda Oncology

Jennifer A. Shimek, principal 
KPMG

Sujatha Sonti, head, formulation and process development 
GlaxoSmithKline

Christine E. Sproule, associate director 
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt Germany

Tara Sullivan, senior vice president, client service director 
CDM NY

Jenny Sung, associate vice president, evidence based medicine research 
Sanofi

Clare Tong, senior director, custom research 
AlphaImpactRx

Kirsten Hansen Tonnessen, vice president, management supervisor 
McCann Healthcare

Diane DiGangi Trench, head of account management, managed markets 
Takeda Pharmaceuticals America Inc.

Sherrise Yvonne Trotz, senior director, enterprise immunizations 
Walgreens Boots Alliance

Ruth Trzcienski, senior manager, compliance 
inVentiv Health

Meredith Valentine, senior brand manager 
Johnson & Johnson

Deena M. Ward, senior director, area accounts 
Novo Nordisk

Pamela C. Wille, medical director/copy supervisor 
Flashpoint Medica

Kassie D. Wooton, senior staff liaison to the president and CEO 
Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals

Quyen Yuen, team leader 
Allidura Consumer, inVentiv Health

Lili Zhu, Pfizer global commercial operation China lead (senior director) 
Pfizer Inc