(JOHN HALPERN)

At 22, Stephanie Bova left the United States to teach English in Japan. It would be a decision that ultimately determined her success today as a prominent figure in pharmaceutical marketing at one of the largest companies in the world. As global brand team leader for Caduet, Pfizer's single-pill combination of Norvasc and Lipitor for treatment of high blood pressure and cholesterol, Bova oversees development, regulatory, medical commercial, and outcomes research. In the past six months, her team has launched Caduet in Spain, Romania, and Russia, and anticipates approval in up to five additional countries by the end of 2009.

Well recognized for her achievement within the cardiovascular marketing department at Pfizer, Bova says she has "been so lucky to work on a medicine like Lipitor which has helped people like my father lower his very high cholesterol and my uncle avoid another heart attack." In terms of innovation, she believes there is room for improvement: "We have brilliant scientists and outstanding strategists. However, we are a very structured industry. We need to learn to be more agile and to embrace the need for speed."