Award Description

This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated initiative, commitment and support for the industry through the national biotechnology association in such areas as committee work, championing the association to stakeholders, or facilitating the efforts of association staff. The individual’s contributions, creativity, leadership, personal drive to excel, persistence and the ability to inspire others have been demonstrated throughout the year.

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John Dorsey, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. - 2012 Contribution to the Association

As Chair of the Vaccine Industry Committee (VIC) John Dorsey has demonstrated steadfast commitment and support for the association, its members and customers.  John’s personal leadership in supporting the VIC’s objectives to shape the national immunization strategy, establish a sustained funding mechanism for new vaccines, improve the vaccine evaluation and recommendation process, and position the committee as a trusted and reliable industry partner is a testament to his strong commitment to improving the operating environment for companies, and ultimately the public health of all Canadians.

In his term as Chair John has played an instrumental role in expanding the membership of the VIC, which now includes all leading vaccine manufacturers serving the Canadian market and the vast majority early-stage Canadian companies developing innovative vaccine technologies.  John also played a pivotal role in increasing the support and input of Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D) at the VIC. The expansion of the committee underscores John’s ability to engage and inspire others and signals the vibrancy and value of the work the industry hopes to continue building on with its partners in the public health and immunization community.
John Dorsey is Vice-President and Head of the Vaccines & Diagnostics Division of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.  Prior to starting the Vaccines & Diagnostics business in Canada, John was Vice President of Marketing for the vaccines business of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Inc. located in Cambridge MA, USA. 

Previous to joining Novartis’ Vaccines and Diagnostics division, John held several roles with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada including Vice-President of the Oncology Business Unit and Vice-President of Primary Care Marketing.

Prior to Novartis, John held several marketing and sales roles in Toronto at Janssen-Ortho, Inc.  He started his career as a hospital pharmacist working in Toronto at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center.

John holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Saskatchewan, a Bachelor of Arts in Life Sciences from Queen’s University (Kingston, Ont.) and a Masters in Business Administration from York University’s Schulich School of Business (Toronto).

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2001- 2011 Past Award Recipients

2011 - Gordon Jans, PricewaterhouseCoopers (see profile)
2010 - Dr. Karen Burke (AMGEN) & Mr. James Willoughby (Hoffman-LaRoche) (see profile)
2009 - Dr. Lesia Babiak, Janssen-Ortho Inc. (see profile)
2008 - Deborah Brown, EMD Serono
2007 - Bob Ingratta, Vice President of Regulatory & International Affairs, Monsanto Canada and Chair, BIOTECanada Agriculture & Nutrition Advisory Board
2007 - Christian Blouin, Director, Vaccine Division, Merck Frosst Canada and Chair, BIOTECanada Vaccine Industry Committee
2006 - Dr. Luis Barreto, Vice-President of Public Policy, Sanofi Pasteur  
2005 - John Mendlein, President & CEO, Affinium Pharmaceuticals (former)
2004 - Paul Hastings, President and CEO, QLT Inc.
2003 - Brian Kerslake, Senior Marketing Manager, VWR International
2002 - Claude-André Lachance, Director of Public Policy, Dow Chemicals Canada and Myka Osinchuck, (former) Executive Director, BioAlberta
2001 - Art Stirling, Government & Industry Relations Manager, Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited*

* Award for Contribution to the Industry - combined with Contribution to Advancing the Benefits of Biotech for Canadians in 2002.