We bestow awards each year at our annual benefit luncheon, recognizing and honoring outstanding women. Our “It’s Always Something” Award named after comedian Gilda Radner and her book “It’s Always Something,” which documented her experience with cancer, is presented to a woman that has been vocal and public about her experience and has shown others how to work and live with cancer. Our Red Door Award named after our signature clubhouse red door, is presented to a woman who has contributed to improving the quality of life of anyone who has been touched by cancer.
We are honored to present the 2009 Red Door Award to Meryl Zausner, Executive Vice President & CFO Novartis Corporation.
We are honored to present the 2009 “It’s Always Something” Award to Kris Carr, Best-Selling Author and Filmmaker.
Meryl Zausner is the Chief Financial Officer of Novartis Corporation and a member of the company’s Executive Committee. In this position, she oversees Investor Relations, Controlling, Treasury, Cash Management and Tax across the Novartis divisions based in the US as well as the financial management of the Novartis benefit plans.
Previously, she was Vice President and CFO of Novartis Oncology. In her eight years with Novartis Oncology, Meryl played a pivotal role in launching and building the Novartis global Oncology franchise, taking the business from approximately $1.5 billion when the business was established in late 2000 to over $7 billion – and growing — today. In addition to her responsibilities as CFO, she chaired the Novartis Pharmaceuticals 2006 & 2007 Global Diversity Council, of which she was a founding member. She was also a founding member of the U.S. EWIN (Empowering Women to Impact Novartis) Initiative. In 2007, she was named Healthcare Businesswomen Association’s Woman of the Year.
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Kris Carr is a best-selling author, filmmaker, and motivational speaker. She is the subject of the inspirational documentary, Crazy Sexy Cancer, which she wrote and directed for TLC and Discovery Health.
Her awarding-winning books, Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips (foreword by Sheryl Crow), and Crazy Sexy Cancer Survivor (foreword by Marianne Williamson) are must-have manuals for triumphing over disease while shattering stigmas and embracing a holistic approach to recovery.
Carr teaches “boot camp” wellness workshops at The Omega Institute, Kripalu, The Crossings, and The New York Open Center. She is a faculty member in the nutrition program of The Urban Zen Integrative Therapist Training, a 500-hour certification program created by Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Foundation.
As an irreverent foot soldier in the fight against disease, Carr inspires countless individuals and their families to make the link between personal and planetary health by adopting a plant-based diet and improving lifestyle choices. Her witty anecdotes, and tips for tackling adversity motivate her audiences to think outside the box in order to become empowered participants for change.
Carr has been featured on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, The Early Show, Today Show, Montel, Access Hollywood, The Mike & Juliet Show, Good Morning America and The Oprah Winfrey Show. She is the founder of Red House Pictures and Crazysexylife.com |
Our 2008 honorees included breast cancer survivor, Robin Roberts, Anchor, ABC News’ Good Morning America, who received the “It’s Always Something” Award and Cynthia Leive, Editor-in-Chief, GLAMOUR magazine who received the Red Door Award.
