Gain confidence and tools to advance your career, connect with industry leaders and peers, enhance your professional skills, and build a supportive community of like-minded professionals. Join us for EmpowerHER, a unique event with targeted coaching, networking, and professional development activities. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in several 15-minute speed coaching sessions with experienced leaders in our industry. In addition, participants can join in activities around the room to learn negotiation techniques, strategic relationship building, executive presence, and Toastmasters public speaking.

Program

6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.  Registration & Welcome Reception (with hors d'oeuvres and refreshments)
6:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.  Opening Remarks & Introductions
6:45 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.  Keynote 
7:15 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.  Speed Coaching Sessions & Professional Development Activities
8:45 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.  Networking & Closing Remarks

Keynote Speakers

Sheetal Alur, PharmD, Executive Director, Head of North America Regulatory Affairs at    LEO Pharma

Sheetal Alur is a seasoned regulatory leader with over 20 years of experience in Global and US Regulatory Affairs. As Head of North America Safety & Regulatory Affairs at LEO Pharma, she oversees Pharmacovigilance, Ad/Promo Regulatory, Labeling, and Regulatory Strategy for the US and Canada. With expertise in crafting innovative strategies and guiding projects from development to post-approval, Sheetal has significantly impacted the pharmaceutical landscape. Before LEO Pharma, she spent 16 years at Pfizer in progressive R&D leadership roles, shaping the future of healthcare.

Amrit Ray, MD, Board Chairman & Director

Dr. Ray is an internationally recognized physician and researcher dedicated to advancing medical breakthroughs. As a Board Chairman and Director at the Boards of Directors at a portfolio of visionary life sciences companies, he is a renowned sponsor, mentor, and coach for top leadership talent. With over 25 years of leadership in the life sciences industry, including as Global President and Head of R&D at Pfizer Upjohn, he has held multiple C-suite roles and championed groundbreaking medicines in cardio-metabolism, neuroscience, and oncology. Dr. Ray combines clinical expertise with business acumen, holding degrees in medicine and immunology from Edinburgh University and an MBA from Dartmouth. He is a Visiting Professor at Newcastle University and a Trustee at the Hastings Center for Bioethics.

Julie Thomas, PharmD, RPh, Vice President of Global Medical Safety Operations at Johnson & Johnson

Julie has over 20 years of specialized expertise in pharmacovigilance and a robust technical acumen. She has a PharmD from St. John's University and a proven track record in driving transformative initiatives. Her leadership has been pivotal in harnessing advanced technologies, including robotic process automation, artificial intelligence, and natural language processing, to drive efficiency and accuracy in pharmacovigilance operations. Passionate about next-generation talent development, Julie was the executive sponsor of the PharmD Fellowship Program and served as Co-Chair of the Pharmacists Network, an enterprise Employee Engagement Group at J&J. She also mentors female and minority students through the Scientific Mentoring Diversity Program, reflecting her commitment to advancing diversity in STEM fields.

Industry Leaders

Libette Luce, Vice President, Head of Regulatory Affairs at Akero

Libette has over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, with more than 15 years specializing in global regulatory affairs across multiple therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular, dermatology, GI, metabolic, and ophthalmic/retinal disease. Prior to Akero, Libette was the Vice President and head of Regulatory Affairs at Innocoll Biopharmaceuticals, leading development and commercial global regulatory initiatives for the company’s product portfolio in the non-opioid pain management space. Before Innocoll, she was Executive Director of Global Regulatory Affairs at Bausch Health Companies, Inc., leading the management of product portfolios for Bausch’s business units, GI (Salix Pharmaceuticals), dermatology (Dow Pharmaceuticals) and ophthalmology (Bausch and Lomb Inc.). She has also held global regulatory positions at Allergan (Abbvie), Forest Laboratories (Abbvie), Roche, and Schering-Plough (Merck). Libette holds a Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Relations from Seton Hall University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies from the University of Miami.

Christy Mazzarisi, Principal Consultant of Quality and Clinical at Network Partners Group

Christy Mazzarisi is a seasoned Senior Quality Professional with over 17 years of experience in pharmaceutical and laboratory sciences. As Principal Consultant of Quality and Clinical at Network Partners Group, Christy drives quality strategies, builds service offerings, and mentors global teams to meet FDA and EU regulatory standards. With expertise in GxP compliance, CAPA management, and QMS implementation, Christy has led impactful quality programs and represented top-tier clients during audits and inspections. A dedicated leader, she also serves as Chair for the ASQ Women in Quality and Leadership group. Christy holds a master’s in regulatory affairs and Quality from Northeastern University.

Cindy Reiss-Clark, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at West Pharmaceutical Services

Cindy is an accomplished business leader recognized for inspiring and empowering others to stretch beyond their comfort zone and imagine what is possible. She is driven by a purpose and belief that people want to contribute to something meaningful, something bigger than themselves. She has modeled a philosophy throughout her twenty-plus years in the life science industry, focusing on making a difference in people's lives. Cindy is responsible for leading the company's worldwide Commercial and Customer Success aspects with the goal of driving a deeper understanding of their customers' needs to enable the drug delivery of essential medicines from the world's leading pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies. She is accountable for the market-led strategies for West's four market units—Biologics, Pharma, Generics, and Contract Manufacturing, which include overall sales and sales strategy, global marketing, product management, and customer service. Cindy has been recognized as one of the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Women of Distinction for 2022. This award recognizes influential businesswomen in the broader Philadelphia region who have had a significant impact in their place of business, have made a difference in their communities, are leaving a mark on Philadelphia business, and are committed to advancing women in the workplace. Prior to joining West, Cindy held a variety of senior leadership positions across Sales and Marketing for Lonza's Pharma and Biotech business unit and SAFC (a division of Sigma Aldrich). Her leadership is matched with a technical foundation in the biological sciences. Cindy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Chemistry from the University of Kansas. 

Pricing Information

• Members: $25
• Non-Members*: $35

*Not a Member? Click here to learn about the benefits of a WIB Membership — access to our video library, mentorship groups, and more. 

Please read WIB's Code of Conduct, In-Person Event Waiver, and Refund Policy.

Note: A confirmation email will be sent after registration has been completed. 

Maximum Capacity 

50

Parking Information

Free parking is available at the venue.