This past year, perhaps more so than any other in the last 100+ years, the world needed those within the healthcare and life sciences industry to be elite. People who exemplify what our own ELITE Awards have stood for since its inception seven years ago: Exceptional Leaders, Innovators, Transformers, and Entrepreneurs. People who saw the world in turmoil due to a global pandemic and were capable of acting fast.
We have always referred to our ELITE 100 as the most influential people in the healthcare and life sciences industries. Well, if you have ever doubted how much impact these people could have on those industries—or even the world—then just consider what this year’s winners accomplished. A team of scientists pivoted from their research into Ebola to discover an antibody cocktail that is shown to reduce hospitalization and death of COVID-19 by 70%. An AI expert created a system to help speed up parts of the clinical trial development process from 30 days to 22 hours. A diagnostic company executive helped devise the first drive-thru testing site in New York. An ad executive who started her career as a nurse went back to the frontlines as a volunteer to administer vaccines.
Then, of course, there is our Uber ELITE winner, Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, whose company developed one of the first vaccines in record time. We can already see the effect that is having around the world as restrictions are slowly being lifted and we are able to get back to more of the things we love.
While not all of our winners may be responsible for an impact quite as large as that—he is our Uber winner after all—they all represent the power of our industry. Even beyond the pandemic, the life sciences are in the business of saving and improving lives. And these are the people who help make that possible in big ways and small. Take the time to learn about each one.
The ELITE Awards honors people in the following 19 categories:
- Creative Directors: Marketers known for their daring creative and jealousy-inducing campaigns.
- COVID Heroes: Anyone who stepped up during the pandemic to better help patients, aid HCPs, develop treatments, or find new ways to help their own organization adjust.
- Data Miners: Individuals who specialize in analytics and can turn hordes of numbers and research into actionable insight.
- Digital Crusaders: Those who advance digital channel applications or platforms to transform marketing and/or company operations.
- Disrupters:Fearless individuals who disrupt the status quo to revolutionize the industry.
- Drug Researchers and Developers:The scientists, researchers, and clinical trial experts moving the industry forward with new breakthroughs.
- Entrepreneurs: Visionary risk-takers who develop new companies to answer unmet needs.
- Launch Experts: Marketers with significant success in bringing a new drug to market or in revitalizing markets for an older drug.
- Leaders of the Future: Up-and-comers who display the characteristics of an emerging leader.
- Marketing Teams: Teams that have achieved great marketing success together as a group.
- Master Educators: People who revolutionize the way patients/doctors learn and absorb information.
- Mentors:The role models others aspire to emulate.
- Patient Advocates:Those who make sure patients’ voices are heard and needs are met.
- PR Gurus: Communication experts who are masters at spreading news and good publicity.
- Sales MVPs: Company sales leaders who do an outstanding job of building revenue and nurturing company growth.
- Strategists: People with a sixth sense for what works—and the ability to predict what the industry needs to do to remain relevant.
- Talent Acquisition Leaders:The industry’s top job recruiters and HR executives.
- Tech-know Geeks: Innovators who spearhead technological breakthroughs that reshape the industry.
- Transformational Leaders:People who change the way companies operate.
The 2021 ELITE Winners are: