Presenting The CMO Leadership Awards — A Humbling Experience In Trust

By Rob Wright, Chief Editor, Life Science Leader
Follow Me On Twitter @RfwrightLSL

On my drive to work this morning, I poured two ibuprofen pills into the palm of my hand, popped them into my mouth, took a swig from a bottle of water, and swallowed them. Not once during this process did the thought of “Is this safe?” cross my mind. Similar acts of taking prescription and OTC medications are done by millions of people around the world. I imagine it is probably a rare occurrence for someone to pause and ponder if what they are putting into or on their body to be safe. As human beings, we place a high degree of faith in the companies that manufacture the biopharmaceutical products we use on a daily basis. And while we take for granted that these medications will be of high quality, it is the diligent and tireless work often conducted by CMOs, which make it so easy for people to trust in the safety of their medications.

A Gathering Of Competitors In Recognition of Excellence

Stepping on to the stage at the W Hotel in NYC to present this year’s CMO Leadership Awards to the top 10 percent of contract manufacturers in the areas of quality, reliability, productivity, innovation, and regulatory, is a truly humbling experience. For as I look out at the hundreds of smiling faces gathered before me, the realization hits — these are some of the fiercest competitors our industry has to offer. Yet, here they all are, gathered in one room in recognition of excellence in manufacturing. Competition among CMOs results in these companies pushing one another to ever higher levels of improvement. And though these competitors most certainly benefit from being rivals, the ones that benefit the most are the patients who can trust the products they consume to be safe and effective. Prior to this year’s awards, I saw a number of tweets and press releases thanking me or Life Science Leader for recognizing their company as a 2015 CMO Leadership Award winner. But trust me, when I have the opportunity to announce and be photographed with CMO Leadership Award winners — the honor is all mine. Thanks for all your hard work.