Healthcare Businesswomen's Association

Meet the 2025 Woman of the Year Reshema Kemps-Polanco!

Read about 2025 HBA Woman of the Year Reshema Kemps-Polanco

Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer
Novartis U.S.  

Celebrating Exceptional Leadership

HBA’s Woman of the Year award honors an exceptional leader whose work has made a significant impact in the healthcare industry. 

These individuals are innovators who have advanced global leadership change or scientific achievement. They are exceptional mentors in the workplace and beyond — setting new benchmarks and building a supportive community for their peers and women across the globe.

A Role Model for Our Industry

Each year, the Woman of the Year is recognized at our annual HBA Woman of the Year event (in-person and virtually) that brings together influential executives, sponsors, and media to celebrate on a global stage. The Woman of the Year engages with the HBA community at international and local events throughout the year, sharing her journey and continuing to inspire and support women in healthcare. 

Nominations for the 2026 awards will open in Q3 2025. Honorees will be notified in mid to late December.  

If you'd like to know more about the nomination process here is the easy three-step process:

  1. Start the nomination process by paying the submission fee of $500/€458. (You may be prompted to log in to your HBA account or create a new account) 
  2. After paying the submission fee, check your email for confirmation and link to the Awards Nomination Platform. 
  3. Create an account on the Awards Nomination Platform, complete information fields, provide documentation (nominee bio, letters of recommendation, photo) and be prepared to share:  
    1. Specific examples of how the nominee has made significant contributions and driven impactful progress in the healthcare ecosystem. 
    2. Details on how the nominee has demonstrated exceptional leadership and established a culture of workplace innovation and progress. 
    3. How the nominee has initiated and fostered equitable practices in the workplace that support and champion women. 

Thank you for your interest in raising visibility of exceptional industry leaders.

Questions? Contact us  

  • Submissions are reviewed by an awards selection committee of seasoned industry executives dedicated to HBA’s mission.
  • Each committee member reviews the submissions and independently ranks candidates against defined criteria.
  • The judging committee considers the summarized ratings, debates the merits of each submission, and selects the Woman of the Year.

The HBA congratulates all previous Women of the Year.

See Previous Winners