Roanoke, VA, (April 17, 2026) – LTEN today announced the finalists for the 12th Annual LTEN Excellence Awards, along with the recipients of this year’s scholarship programs and the 2026 LTEN Members of the Year. These announcements cap off a full week of activity recognizing this year’s honorees.
The LTEN Excellence Awards recognize innovative and inspiring work from life sciences training professionals and the strong support, innovation and creativity of training industry partners. Winners will be revealed at the LTEN Excellence Awards Gala on June 17, an evening program celebrating the outstanding work of this year’s finalists. The gala event is part of the 2026 LTEN Annual Conference, taking place June 15-18 at the Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Fla. Tickets for the dinner and ceremony go on sale May 1.
Also at the gala, LTEN will recognize recipients of its LTEN Field Trainer Scholarship, presented by the LTEN Field Trainer Committee, and of the Chuck Pearson Learning Scholarship, named by the LTEN Board of Directors. Recipients of both honors receive credits that can be applied toward LTEN educational opportunities and event attendance.
The 2026 LTEN Field Trainer Scholarship recipient is Jake Kotter, area field trainer for Shield Therapeutics. The 2026 Chuck Pearson Learning Scholarship recipients are Elizabeth Palmieri, program manager, account management excellence, for Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, and Janet Storey, senior manager, U.S. medical affairs and commercial learning and development, for Jazz Pharmaceuticals.
Also being recognized at the gala are the 2026 LTEN Members of the Year, awarded annually to a learning professional and a supplier partner who demonstrate exceptional commitment supporting LTEN programs, content and events. The 2026 LTEN Members of the Year are:
- Mark Butsavage, sales training manager for B. Braun Medical. Mark contributes LTEN Focus on Training magazine articles, attends LTEN events and was one of the original volunteers launching the LTEN Ambassador program for new member orientation.
- Wendy Eicholzer, M.Ed., president and CEO of Whole Systems, a platinum level Preferred Industry Partner. In addition to her company’s ongoing support, Eicholzer serves on the LTEN Editorial Advisory Board and is a frequent speaker at LTEN events, workshops and learning labs.
“Mark and Wendy represent the very best of LTEN,” said Lauren Harbert, LTEN executive director. “Their passion for learning, generosity in sharing their expertise and dedication to elevating our profession have made a lasting impact on our community. We are thrilled to recognize them and the impact they continue to have on our entire community.
The 12th Annual LTEN Excellence Awards will be given in 12 categories, all honoring the work of life sciences training leaders, professionals and partners. New this year is the GxP Excellence category,
presented in collaboration with AGxPE, the Association for GxP Excellence, recognizing those who elevate compliance, inspire accountability and drive performance across regulated functions.
The finalists for the 2026 LTEN Excellence Awards are listed below, separated in category groupings recognizing excellence in Leadership & Teams, Strategy & Impact, Learning & Content Design and Culture & Collaboration.
Leadership & Teams
Emerging Leader:
- Rebecca Groshek, AbbVie
- Jenna Sciangula, Teva Pharmaceuticals
All-Star Team:
- AstraZeneca Oncology Learning & Capability Development
- BeOne Medicines Global Talent Development Team
- Gilead Commercial Learning & Development (CL D) Department
- J&J/Intra-Cellular Therapies CAPLYTA Virtual Gallery of Excellence Training Team // Johnson & Johnson, Intra-Cellular Therapies and Red Nucleus
- UCB Patient Evidence & Impact Learning Team
All-Star Small Team:
- Bristol Myers Squibb Leadership Development CoE
- GE HealthCare USCAN Leadership Development Team
- Pharmacosmos Therapeutics Training & Development Team
- Rhythm Pharmaceuticals North America Training Team
Leadership Advancement:
- BeOne Medicines LEAD Program: A Global Success Story!
- Bristol Myers Squibb Manager Excellence — Raising the Bar on Leadership
- Gilead Sciences Commercial Leadership Development — LDP LEAD
Strategy & Impact
GxP Excellence — In Collaboration with 
- AGxPE Committee - Learning Strategies to Optimize GxP Training: Guidance for Industry
- Gilead Global Training Curriculum Simplification Project with Orchestrall
- Johnson & Johnson Enterprise Health Care Compliance Learning with TiER1 Performance
Measurement & Impact:
- AstraZeneca Oncology Learning and Capability Development with Uhmms
- Ipsen Commercial Learning and Development Team with ACTO
- Recertification Program // Johnson & Johnson MedTech with SmartWinnr
Technological Innovation:
- argenx
- DARWIN: Immersive AI Role‑Play for Sales Excellence // Ipsen with Metasim
- Novartis Skills & Capabilities Training Operations Team with Arist
- Pfizer GCET Learning Experience Platform // Pfizer Global Customer Engagement Training Organization
Transformational Enablement:
- One Alnylam Approach: Field Capability // Alnylam with Woven Health Collective\
- Transforming Global Sales Enablement through AI Roleplay // Gilead Sciences with SmartWinnr
- FLSM Coaching to Drive Scalable Impact // Ipsen
- Future-Proofed: AI Fluency at Scale in Oncology // Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Learning Excellence — Oncology
Learning & Content Design
Innovative Design & Solutions:
- Embedding Learning into the Flow of Work // 7taps Microlearning and Johnson & Johnson Technology Learning and Performance Team
- Redefining Partnership to Accelerate Sales Readiness // Alkermes with Encompass Communications, PDG and Unboxed Training & Technology
- Genentech’s AI Learning Strategy
- Ipsen Congress360Peer with Support from Accenture Song
- Johnson & Johnson MedTech Surgery Team with ZS Associates
- AI-Powered Compliant MOA Creation // Powtoon
Learning Content:
- Gilead’s Next Best Action Ties AI Adoption to Patient Impact // Gilead Sciences with TiER1 Performance
- The Gravity of Humanity through AI // Merz with Syneos Health
- Breaking BU Silos with One Sales Process Driving Results // Olympus North America with Ignite Selling
- L&D Live: Parody with Purpose // Sanofi Dupixent Dermatology Field L&D Team with CLD
Culture & Collaboration
Partnership:
- Collaborating to Transform Global Sales Enablement // Gilead Sciences and SmartWinnr
- Advancing Equitable Training and Global Compliance // Johnson & Johnson MedTech and Smartcat
- One Vision. One Launch. One Unified Partnership for Sun // Sun Pharma, SendingCell and ProFusion
- Where the Contract Fades and Partnership Leads // Vertex Pharmaceuticals and EVERSANA
Wellbeing, Community & Culture:
- Leadership at All Levels — A Global Culture Initiative // Cellectis and Creter Group
- Mindset and Performance Program – A Shift in Culture // Neurelis, Inc. with EVERSANA and Amplos
- Philips Blue Heart Series — Strengthening Impact with Care
“Congratulations to all this year’s finalists,” Harbert said. “Their work exemplifies what it means to elevate excellence in life sciences learning and development. We look forward to honoring their achievements and celebrating together at LTEN2026.”
LTEN has made a variety of resources available at www.L-TEN.org/awards to help you familiarize yourself with the LTEN Excellence Awards and the scholarship programs.
Tickets for the June 17 LTEN Excellence Awards Gala will go on sale May 1. Registration is now open to attend the 55th LTEN Annual Conference at www.LTENconference.com., where you can explore this year’s speakers, sponsors and agenda.