New Brunswick, NJ, February 12, 2013 — The HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ) congratulates Kevin Rigby, Vice President of Public Affairs at Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation and US Country Head of Public Affairs and Chair of HINJ’s Board of Trustees, who has been honored by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) as its 2013 Honorable Mentor.
Created in 2001, HBA’s Honorable Mentor award recognizes one individual each year who demonstrates long-term support for the advancement of women in the healthcare industry, has a personal dedication to developing, mentoring and promoting women in the industry, and who has been supportive of the organization’s goals.
“This is such an incredible honor and it is humbling to be recognized for something that means so much to me. I am truly passionate about the power of mentoring, connecting and supporting one another,” said Rigby. “It is so inspiring to help people develop, grow and achieve their dreams. Receiving this prestigious award offers me the opportunity to encourage others to share their wisdom and make mentoring part of who we are and how we work.”
Commenting on Rigby’s honor, André Wyss, president of Novartis Corporation and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, said, “His intuition, optimism, sense of humor and willingness to provide honest, constructive feedback — combined with his skills as an active listener and strategic thinker — make Kevin a sought-after mentor, counselor and confidante to a broad group of individuals.” “Kevin is passionate about diversity and inclusion and strongly supports the career development and advancement of associates across our organization,” Wyss added.
In his role at Novartis, Rigby also serves on Novartis Corporation’s Country executive committee and as president of Novartis Patient Assistance Foundation Inc. In addition to serving as HINJ’s Chair, he is the chair of the New Jersey Workplace Blood Donor Coalition and board secretary of Choose New Jersey. He also serves as vice chair of the board of the Alliance for Aging Research and is past chair of the board for the National Pharmaceutical Council.
Rigby — along with HBA’s 2013 Woman of the Year Bridgette P. Heller, Executive Vice President at Merck and President of Merck Consumer Care — will be formally honored at the HBA’s annual Woman of the Year luncheon, which will be held at New York City’s Hilton (1355 Avenue of the Americas) on Thursday, May 9.
To read the HBA announcement, click here.