DALLAS, TEXAS—When Diana Anderson, Ph.D., made her foray into business ownership 18 years ago as proprietor of Rheumatology Research International in Dallas she never dreamed she’d one day work in more than 60 countries. Today, as founder, president and CEO of the world’s premier patient recruitment organization, D. Anderson & Company, Dr. Anderson is hailed as an International Woman of Influence.
She was among five female executives honored for their global accomplishments during the International Women of Influence Awards™ luncheon of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). AT&T and Exhibits South sponsored the awards ceremony, which was held during the WBENC annual conference June 9-11 in San Francisco, Calif. The awards are an initiative of Global EXEC Women’s International Council.
Dr. Anderson, whose company boasts clientele representing a who’s who in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, won in the Emerging/Growth category for companies earning up to $500 million in annual sales. She is among a minority of women business owners in the clinical research realm and is credited with helping to build this now billion-dollar niche.
This award is validation that you can truly take on the world in today’s environment where technology and other factors allow you to be global,” said Dr. Anderson, who has received numerous other honors including being named one of the “100 Most Inspiring People” in the life sciences industry by PharmaVoice magazine in 2006.
Reflecting on her earlier career as a nurse in the research department of St. Paul Medical Center in Dallas, Dr. Anderson said, “I had always approached my work, even when I was employed by someone else, as if it were my own business. When presented with the choice to be founder and owner of a business or to stay with a known entity which was someone else’s business, I didn’t question for a minute that I wanted to become an entrepreneur.”
And she has not looked back. Dr. Anderson has been on the fast track, leading DAC through its evolution as a niche site management organization and contract research organization to its current status as the world’s largest and most successful patient recruitment organization serving the clinical trials sector.
I am truly enthralled to have participated in the awards process this year. The judging was extremely competitive due to the high caliber of our nominees,” said Global EXEC Women judging committee chair, Vicki Hamilton, who is also senior vice president, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Other judges were Robin Bienfait, chief information officer, Research In Motion (RIM) Blackberry; and entrepreneur Karen Robinson, who has raised more than $70 million in venture capital and sits on several global boards.
Dr. Anderson’s fellow award recipients were Chelle Moore, vice president of international human resources, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.; Joanna Wasmuth, global director of marketing and communications, World Vision; Helen Marquez, chief executive officer and president, ePLDT Ventus, a subsidiary of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company; and Isabel Alexander, founder and president, Phancorp, Inc.
These dynamic leaders are influential in their respective fields and community. They are all powerful examples of women conducting international business and we are proud to honor them,” said Virginia A. Bradley, founder, chief executive officer and publisher of Global EXEC Women Magazine.
With offices in Seattle, Houston and Dallas, DAC is a subsidiary of D.L. Anderson International. The company is certified as a Women-Owned Business (WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and a continuing education provider through the California Board of Registered Nursing. For more information, visit www.dandersoncompany.com.
