AstraZeneca's Bahija Jallal named HBA Woman of the Year 2017

The Healthcare Businesswoman’s Association has named AstraZeneca’s Dr Bahija Jallal as its Woman of the Year for 2017.

Dr Jallal is an executive vice president at AZ and heads up the UK pharma firm’s global biologics R&D arm, MedImmune.

Since joining MedImmune as vice president of translational sciences in 2006, Dr Jallal has guided the company through a rapid period of growth, building its product pipeline to account for approximately half of AZ’s overall output.

AZ’s chief executive Pascal Soriot, paid tribute to Dr Jallal as an every day “inspiration”, adding: “I am proud of all the work she has done on behalf of patients.”

Explaining the HBA’s decision, chief executive Laurie Cooke, said: “The Healthcare Businesswoman’s Association is extremely proud to honour Bahija Jallal as our 2017 Woman of the Year.

“Bahija brings her visionary leadership, sharp intellect, and empowering presence to her organisation and challenges individuals to think bolder and dream bigger.

“Bahija’s commitment to mentoring young women, as well as launching MedImmune’s annual Women’s Summit, exemplifies her dedication to achieving gender parity for healthcare businesswomen.”

Dr Jallal is to be honoured at the HBA’s 28th annual Woman of the Year event held on 11 May in New York, when awards for Honourable Mentor, 100 Rising Stars and Luminaries, and the Strategic Transformation Achievement Recognition (STAR) will also be presented.

Dr Jallal said: “I am humbled to receive this recognition, and to join the distinguished list of HBA Woman of the Year recipients who have come before me, working so tirelessly to improve patient lives.

"I am proud to say that at MedImmune, about 50% of our employees are female and our leadership team is equally diverse. As the HBA Woman of the Year, it is a privilege for me to represent not only these talented female innovators, but also so many amazing women in the healthcare industry."

Last year, the HBA recognised Roche’s head of European pharma Jennifer Cook as Woman of the Year, while previous winners include Denice Torres, president of McNeill Consumer Healthcare and Bridgetter Heller, executive vice president of Merck and president of Merck Consumer Care.

Article by Rebecca Clifford