Ernst & Young's Carolyn Buck Luce Named 2012 Woman Of The Year by The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association

FAIRFIELD, N.J., Feb. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) announced that its 2012 Woman of the Year is Carolyn Buck Luce, global pharmaceutical leader at Ernst & Young. Ms. Buck Luce is being recognized for her decades-long leadership in healthcare and life sciences as well as her tireless efforts focused on the advancement of women in the industry.

"The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association is extremely proud to honor Carolyn Buck Luce as our 2012 Woman of the Year," says Buket Grau, president of the HBA and global commercial strategy director at Stryker. "Carolyn is a dedicated leader promoting women's advancement in healthcare."

"Carolyn exemplifies the remarkable reach and unmistakable impact of inclusive leadership," said Jim Turley, chairman and CEO of Ernst & Young. "She has driven Ernst & Young's work in the global life sciences market during a period characterized by complexity, increasing regulation and a constant demand for innovation, yet her ability to connect people and solutions leaves a lasting mark on both the health care and professional services industries. At the same time, Carolyn accelerated her efforts to champion the advancement of women leaders through thought leadership and community service. We are proud to call her a colleague and recognize her tremendous leadership."

Ms. Buck Luce will be honored at the HBA's 23nd annual Woman of the Year event on Thursday, May 3, at the Hilton New York. This is the event of the year for the healthcare community, attended by 2,500 leaders in the industry. Awards for Honorable Mentor, STAR (Strategic Transformation Achievement Recognition), and a group of some 100 Rising Stars, noted for their accomplishments and contributions to the healthcare industry, will also be presented at the event.

"It is a true privilege to be recognized by the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association with this award," said Ms. Buck Luce. "Today's healthcare industry presents huge opportunities and challenges that will require all of our best talent focusing on improving health outcomes for individual patients and societies. The discovery, development and life cycle management of diverse global talent will be the key driver of innovation in the future. I look forward to continuing to work closely with the HBA in finding ways to accelerate the enormous potential of professional women throughout the healthcare ecosystem."

As global pharmaceutical sector leader, Ms. Buck Luce is responsible for overseeing strategy, thought leadership, resourcing, learning and solutions for the firm's life science clients. In that regard, Ms Buck Luce has championed an industry-wide conversation based on EY's perspective of the transformation of the industry to "Pharma 3.0." During her twenty-one years at Ernst & Young, Ms. Buck Luce has also served as national director of Strategic Investments, and helped co-found the Ernst & Young Center for Strategic Transactions, advising more than 200 CEOs on their transaction strategies. Ms. Buck Luce is also a founding member of the firm's Diversity Task Force. Prior to joining Ernst & Young in 1991, Ms. Buck Luce spent seventeen years in banking, consulting and government, providing a diverse range of capital market activities for public and private companies.

A long-standing and passionate advocate for the advancement of women in business, Ms. Buck Luce is a co-founder of the Corporate Council for the White House Project, which brings together major corporations to enhance the perception of women as business leaders in the public eye.

Ms. Buck Luce is also the co-chair and co-founder of The Talent Innovation Task Force, studying "The Hidden Brain Drain – Women and Minorities as Unrealized Assets" and currently serves on the Mayor's Commission on Women's Issues in New York City, where she advises on strategies and programs to make it the best large city for women to live and work. She has also been on the Board of Directors for the last decade for the New York Women's Foundation where she has held a variety of officer positions, most recently as chair.

A sought after writer and speaker on topics related to the Pharma 3.0 industry transformation as well as women and minorities in business, Ms. Buck Luce has been the author or co-author of several recent articles in the Harvard Business Review, including "Stopping the Exodus of Women in Science", "Leadership in Your Midst: Tapping the Hidden Talents of Your Minority Executives" and "On-Ramps and Off-Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success."

Ms. Buck Luce earned her undergraduate (BS) degree from Georgetown University, graduating magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa and her masters in business administration from Columbia University. She currently serves as adjunct professor at Columbia University Graduate School of International and Public Affairs teaching "Women and Power."

About The HBA
The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) is in its fourth decade as a global not-for-profit organization dedicated to furthering the advancement of women in healthcare worldwide. With 15 chapters throughout the US and in Europe, the HBA is headquartered in New Jersey with offices in Philadelphia and Research Triangle Park. The HBA provides educational opportunities for women and men to develop cutting-edge healthcare industry knowledge and leadership skills; recognizes outstanding women and men in the industry; provides opportunities for networking; creates greater visibility for women in the industry; fosters mentoring relationships and serves as a conduit and sponsor for research on career advancement issues. HBA has nearly 6,000 individual members and over 130 Corporate Partners. It is widely recognized as the catalyst for leadership development of women in healthcare worldwide. For more information, visit www.hbanet.org.

SOURCE Healthcare Businesswomen's Association