LAKEWOOD, Colo., U.S.A. – Antoinette Gawin has shaped her leadership goals on one guiding philosophy: Each individual, regardless of who they are or where they live, deserves access to life-changing, quality healthcare. As President and CEO of Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies – a medical technology company operating globally and striving to unlock the potential of blood and cell-based therapies — she has made expanding access to the highest standards of care a priority.
Antoinette’s early insight into patient access issues came from her humble roots, growing up in a rural Northern Michigan, farming community in the U.S. “Healthcare where I grew up, someone had an accident, they got to lie on the couch the next day. But that isn’t the way it should be, and it doesn’t have to be. I think of my father’s own journey with diabetes that went untreated for many years and resulted in all the complications one might imagine because he didn’t have the simple safety net of healthcare. I am trying to change that.”
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies makes critical healthcare products that help save lives. “Our products collect blood and cells from donors and patients and deliver treatments and therapies to patients. A simple way to think of it is this: If you have ever donated blood or stem cells or had a friend or family member receive a blood transfusion or cellular therapy, you have likely interacted with our products.”
Under Antoinette’s leadership, Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies secured the first FDA Emergency Use Authorization during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating the innovation, expertise, and agility the company leverages for impact. From enabling the first bone marrow transplant in Sub-Sahara Africa to building an infrastructure for novel cell and gene therapies in Asia, to continuing to advance the safety of the world’s blood supply, Antoinette has focused the company’s efforts on helping the global healthcare ecosystem rise to meet difficult challenges that can impede patient care.
“One important aspect of change is leadership, if your leadership is not aligned around your purpose then you won’t be effective. We spent a tremendous amount of time ensuring our leaders not only share in the vision and values and help create it, but they also know each other and trust each other so we can build off each other’s capabilities.
When thinking about the future, Antoinette goes back to possibilities. “What makes someone from my humble background think I can change global healthcare? It all starts with one step, and you have to have the courage to take that step. We all have a small part to play. Don’t think that your job is to cure cancer, I can’t do that myself, but we can connect the people who can cure cancer. And we all have a small role to play, those small acts together create an unstoppable force.”