HORSHAM, PA, USA—July 31, 2012— DIA and the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) today announced a new collaboration to advance the careers of women involved in the regulatory, medical, legal and compliance functions of healthcare. The associations will embark on a multi-year initiative called the DIA/HBA Leadership Project, which was launched in June at the 2012 DIA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.
A steering committee of senior-level women representing pharmaceutical biotech and medical device companies will lead this unique initiative. The steering committee will develop a plan for:
• Building a community of like-minded professionals who will share insights into how to nurture and inspire leadership; • Creating and implementing a skill-building roadmap for success;
• Shaping the direction of women’s initiatives currently underway and in development to support the regulatory, medical, legal and compliance functions.
“Women involved in the regulatory, medical, legal and compliance functions of healthcare can positively enhance an organization’s reputation, value diversity while stimulating innovation and maximizing the effectiveness of their commercial operations,” asserts Ilyssa Levins, president of the Center for Communication Compliance (CCC). “For this reason, we must accelerate the growth of their leadership skills and increase their impact on the changing business and regulatory environments.” Levins co-chairs the project with DIA President-elect Minnie Baylor-Henry, VP of Worldwide Regulatory Affairs at Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices and Diagnostics.
According to Baylor-Henry, “This initiative will build portable and visible skills that go beyond mere technical expertise. It will also establish women in regulatory, medical, legal and compliance as strategic business partners within an organization. Both are practical goals designed to benefit current and future leaders.”
More than 125 women attended the inaugural event to hear a panel of female leaders share their thoughts on the state of women’s leadership today and to learn more about the project’s vision. Panelists included Dr. Freda Lewis-Hall, EVP, chief medical officer at Pfizer and the 2011 HBA Woman of the Year; RADM Sandra Kweder, MD, deputy director of the Office of New Drugs at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and DIA board member; and Tracy Rockney, JD, divisional VP of RA at Abbott Pharmaceutical Products Division.
For more information on the Project’s goals and strategies, and a list of Steering Committee members, go to www.hbanet.org and follow Twitter (#DIAHBA).
About The HBA
The Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) is in its fourth decade as a global not-for-profit organization dedicated to furthering the advancement of women in healthcare worldwide. With 15 chapters throughout the US and in Europe, the HBA is headquartered in New Jersey with offices in Philadelphia and Research Triangle Park. The HBA provides educational opportunities for women and men to develop cutting-edge healthcare industry knowledge and leadership skills; recognizes outstanding women and men in the industry; provides opportunities for networking; creates greater visibility for women in the industry; fosters mentoring relationships and serves as a conduit and sponsor for research on career advancement issues. HBA has nearly 6,000 individual members and over 130 Corporate Partners. It is widely recognized as the catalyst for leadership development of women in healthcare worldwide. For more information, visit www.hbanet.org.
ABOUT DIA
DIA (www.diahome.org) is a neutral, global, professional, member-driven association of nearly 18,000 professionals involved in the discovery, development, and life cycle management of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and related medical products. Through our international educational offerings and myriad networking opportunities, DIA provides a global forum for knowledge exchange that fosters the innovation of products, technologies and services to improve health and well being worldwide. Headquarters are in Horsham, PA, USA, with offices in Basel, Switzerland; Tokyo, Japan; Mumbai, India; and Beijing, China. Follow DIA on FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
