Previous Honorees

Monique Adams is the Executive Director, Global Head, Diversity & Inclusion in Clinical Trials at Sanofi. Monique is working with internal and external partners to drive Sanofi’s vision, strategy and implementation of a holistic framework for inclusion and diversity in clinical trials. She is a thought expert on identifying innovative ways to ensure clinical trials are equitable and accessible. Monique is a trusted, inclusive global leader with over 20 years of drug development experience, working across various organizations in the pharmaceutical industry.

Sam provides executive-level strategic direction to Boston Scientific's U.S. Cardiology Sales Division. He leads the Cardiology Sales group, which includes three businesses: Atrial Fibrillation Solutions (AF Solutions), Cardiac Rhythm Management/Dx, Interventional Cardiology Therapies (ICTx).  Sam chairs Close the Gap, Boston Scientific's Health Equity program. Combined with other unique Boston Scientific programs, Sam leads the commercial strategy and engagement across the entire Cardiology portfolio of products. 

RODNEY COTTON is an entrepreneurial senior leader in the pharmaceutical industry who is known for his holistic perspective, bias for action in the face of challenges, and commitment to agile processes. A key influencer across all levels of the organization, Rod is currently a member of the board of directors of Orchard Software, Community Health Network Health System among other board-level roles. He is also SVP, Head of Strategy & Transformation and Chief of Staff to the CEO for Roche Diagnostics.

Dr. Christina Harris is vice president and chief health equity officer for Cedars-Sinai. In this strategic leadership position,  Harris guides Cedars-Sinai's efforts to advance health equity by addressing health disparities in clinical care,  supporting equity centered research and education,  and fostering meaningful partnerships to uplift underserved communities throughout Los Angeles. 

In this role, Veronica’s responsibilities are focused on transforming how Gilead develops and manages strategic supplier relationships. Most importantly, she will be responsible for re-defining the user experience by creating and delivering an innovative Procurement technology roadmap, a strategic plan which leverages Gilead’s enterprise-wide buying power and collaborating across the business to achieve a best-in-class Supplier Inclusion program.

Reshema Kemps-Polanco is Executive Vice President and US Head, Novartis Oncology. In this role she is responsible for all commercial and medical operations covering oncology in the United States. Reshema returned to Novartis in 2021 after spending seven years at Johnson and Johnson where she served as President, Cardiovascular & Metabolism Business Unit, and President, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Puerto Rico. 

Anthony P. Mack is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Virpax® Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly held emerging growth company located in Berwyn Pennsylvania. His experience in Pharma/Biotech and finance covers more than 35 years. Since 2017, Virpax has been focused on advancing the development of its non-addictive pain and neurological disorder pipeline for worldwide commercialization. He founded and served on the Board of three successful pharmaceutical companies.

In this role, Dr. Motsepe-Ditshego leads the development and execution of the medical strategy and tactical plans, scientific dissemination, education, and external engagements across Inflammation therapeutic areas. Ponda is the previous Global Chair for the Amgen Black Employee Network (ABEN), where she plays a leading role in advancing Amgen’s objectives of improving health equity and increasing minority group enrollment in clinical trials. 

As President of Global Vaccines, Drew leads Merck’s vaccines commercial enterprise to enable access to products across the company’s portfolio, spanning HPV, pneumococcal, pediatric, Ebola and pipeline vaccines and assets. A career pharmaceutical professional and executive leader, Drew has more than 20 years of experience in vaccines across diverse geographies, including emerging markets.

Reed V. Tuckson, MD, FACP, is Managing Director of Tuckson Health Connections, LLC, a vehicle to advance initiatives that support optimal health and wellbeing through the intersection of individual and community health promotion and disease prevention, applied data and analytics, enhanced quality and efficiency in care delivery, and the application of telehealth and biotech innovations.