Gilead Sciences’ ISPE Participation at a Glance
In 2025:
- More than 95 Gilead Sciences employees were active ISPE members
- 45+ attended ISPE events
- 10 spoke at ISPE events
- Six served as ISPE committee leaders
Insights from Sarah Pope Misinski, PhD, Executive Director, CMC Regulatory Affairs, Gilead, on Gilead’s 2025 ISPE Company of the Year Award Recognition
Misinski has been actively involved with ISPE for many years and is a former ISPE International Board of Directors member.
“Throughout my own experience with ISPE, the two things that stand out are the necessary spirit of volunteerism and the sense of community,” said Misinski. “Certainly, the pharmaceutical industry is an active environment, with many competing priorities and commitments that we all shoulder. However, I do think that retaining a focus on serving others and building leadership communities through organizations such as ISPE, even amidst those demands, is of critical importance—not just to the current industry but to the emerging leaders who will lead our sector into the future.”
Miskinski shared the following advice for pharmaceutical companies: “My advice to individuals is rooted in my own experience with ISPE, which translates over many years and includes contributions from both industry and health authority perspectives. The main piece of advice is simply: participate and contribute. Strive to include service to organizations, such as ISPE, as part of one’s own career trajectory. The benefits are significant and include everything from networking to career development/mentorship opportunities.”
“For companies, I suggest strong acknowledgement that networking and community-building through groups like ISPE are fundamental to employees’ professional success,” Miskinski continued.
ISPE Reflections on Gilead’s Recognition
Mike Martin, President and CEO of ISPE, had the following words to share in recognition of Gilead at the event: “On behalf of all of us here at ISPE, we are incredibly grateful for our partnership with Gilead,” said Mike Martin. “Their donations have granted hundreds of students and recent graduates all over the world the chance to attend ISPE conferences and grow within our industry. Gilead has shown an authentic commitment to driving the future of pharma through their support of ISPE and the next generation by their active involvement in our programs, events, communities of practice, and more. It is an honor to recognize them as our 2025 ISPE Company of the Year.”
A Grantee’s Perspective on the Power of Gilead Sciences’ Contributions
Gilead’s leadership and commitment to serving the greater pharmaceutical industry continues to encourage the next generation.
Somtochukwu Obu is one of many students who received a professional development grant to attend an ISPE conference as a result of Gilead Sciences donations to the ISPE Foundation.
“A lot of work has been poured into the pharmaceutical industry, but what matters now is how sustainable is it?” Obu shared. “The impact of what this program is doing for us … you can’t finish it in one conversation. In the next couple of years, we are still going to be revisiting the impact because it wasn’t just that you gave us flight tickets to come to [the conference]—you made us see reasons why we should live, why we should impact lives. You made us see that the pharmaceutical industry is doing a lot more in saving lives. We think it’s just medical doctors, just nurses that are saving lives, but no. What goes on behind the scenes in the pharmaceutical industry, that’s big. You are helping save lives, countless lives, so thank you.”
Learn more about Gilead Sciences and the other 2025 ISPE International Honor Awards winners.
The 2026 ISPE Honor Awards winners will be recognized at the 2026 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo, taking place 18-21 October 2026 in Washington, DC, United States and virtually. Nominations will open in March.
ISPE members: Visit the volunteer portal to learn about volunteer opportunities with ISPE.
Become an ISPE member
