At just 25, Anne Cobuzzi was managing 45 women her mother’s age—and she was feeling the pressure. “It was an uncomfortable environment for me, but I decided to put myself in their shoes,” says the Chadds Ford resident. “On their breaks, I’d do their jobs and have them pass or fail me. My first challenge was to figure out how to gain their respect.”
Now the director of global medical affairs for AstraZeneca, Cobuzzi knows something about adapting to a changing leadership landscape. “It’s about inspiring others, and women have a key role to play in that regard,” she says. “They definitely have plenty of insight to give when it comes to managing talent.”
Aside from her 27 years in the pharmaceutical industry, Cobuzzi chairs the board of the Great Rivers affiliate of the American Heart Association, which covers Delaware, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky—states that are home to some of the most unhealthy people in the nation. In the past 10 years, she’s raised $1 million for the AHA and was even invited to the White House for a briefing on cardiovascular health.
“We have the ability to bring together leaders from industry, government, nonprofits and healthcare to work on a huge problem that’s largely preventable,” Cobuzzi says. “How can you not be passionate about that?”
