Women in Pharma Awards 2026 recognise sector’s outstanding talent

Outstanding talent and leadership across Ireland’s pharmaceutical and life sciences sector was celebrated at the Women in Pharma Awards 2026, with 20 trophies presented at a gala ceremony hosted by Fiona Buckley at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry, Dublin. Now in its second year, the awards programme attracted 63 entries and drew 200 guests to the event, underlining the growing recognition of women’s contribution to a sector at the heart of Ireland’s economy.

Judging co-ordinator Aoife Callan said the awards demonstrated an exceptionally high level of leadership, impact and achievement across a wide variety of roles delivering for patients, science and innovation. “As well as recognising individual excellence, these awards provide a platform for fostering mentorship and collaboration while strengthening professional networks that champion innovation across the sector,” she said.

Emma Kilgallon, HR director at West Pharmaceutical Services, won the overall leader award after winning in the HR leadership category. She spoke of her pride in her team’s performance and she highlighted the high calibre of the shortlisted finalists, adding that recognition for women in an industry still largely male-dominated is important. “It’s great to see such a diverse range of pharma companies represented,” she said. “If women aren’t visible in spaces like this we’re not seen and we’re not given the platform.”

The senior leadership award was presented to Dr Gemma Robinson, founder and managing director of Acorn Regulatory Consulting Services in Tipperary. She said the awards programme underlined the strength of Ireland’s life sciences sector. “We have a small team and the award is amazing for our company,” she said.

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The start-up team at Cancer Trials Ireland was named best female-led team. Established in December 2024, the team delivered a 46 per cent reduction in contract timelines and a 26 per cent reduction to site activation. “It’s brilliant to be in a room full of talented people,” said team lead Olivia McLoughlin. “Dedication to bringing medicines to patients in Ireland is one of the goals we all share.”

Liz Allan, vice president of engineering & design, biopharma & life sciences at Exyte, reflected on her career working across complex, fast-paced pharmaceutical projects, and on the impact diverse teams have on delivery and innovation. She welcomed the growing number of women moving into leadership roles across the industry. “The Women in Pharma Awards are an important way to recognise that progress and inspire the next generation to follow,” she said.

Jean Casey of Eli Lilly was honoured with the legacy award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the sector. Casey said that the company’s leadership team is 60 per cent women across the board. “Working for Eli Lilly I’ve seen that gender doesn’t matter at all – it’s all about ability and capability to do the job. We’ve created something amazing here in Ireland in the pharma industry, and women have played an incredible role in that. It’s something for us all to be proud of.”

Neil Wall, community director at awards organiser Business River, said: “Events like this are made possible through the support of our partners. I want to recognise our media partner, The Irish Times, as well as our supporter, Amárach Research. Their investment in the awards underlines their commitment and support of this key business area.”

Awards judges

Aoife Callan (judging co-ordinator), head of access & external affairs, Takeda Products Ireland
Katarina Antill, chief executive, Bonafi
Harriet Bennett-Lenane, lecturer in clinical pharmaceutics, University College Cork
Catriona Bradley, executive director, Irish Institute of Pharmacy
Jane English, senior lecturer and principal investigator, University College Cork
Sarah Hayes, chief operations officer, SSPC
Declan Kelly, vice president, global quality, Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Emma Lynch, co-founder and chief executive, Q2Med
Graham McCarthy, commercial director, MIAS Pharma
Matt Moran, chief executive, Matt Moran Consulting
Darrin Morrissey, chief executive, National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training
Yvonne Nolan, professor, University College Cork
Sweta Rani, lecturer, South East Technological University
Alice Redmond, chief risk and quality officer, CAI
Sreeja Varghese, director of medical sciences & therapeutic Strategy, Veeda Lifesciences
Bernadette Whelan – lecturer in pharmaceutical science, South East Technological University Waterford