Product Development and Management Association Announces 2011 Outstanding Corporate Innovator Award Winners
Illumina, Inc. and UnitedHealth Group to receive prestigious innovation award on November 1, 2011 during 35th Product Innovation Management Annual Global Conference
CHICAGO, IL, Aug. 30, 2011--Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) announced today that Illumina, Inc. and UnitedHealth Group were selected as winners of the 2011 Outstanding Corporate Innovator Award. In its 24th year, this award is the only honor bestowed upon companies that achieve sustained (five or more years) quantifiable business results from the innovation of new products and services. The companies will receive the award on November 1, 2011 during the Product Innovation Management Annual Global Conference hosted by PDMA at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, Ariz.
Thirty-four companies from around the world were nominated for this year’s Outstanding Corporate Innovator Award. A key highlight of the November 1 presentation is that the winners will detail the practices and processes instrumental to their success, providing a significant learning opportunity for attendees.
“Outstanding Corporate Innovator Award winners are exceptional innovation organizations. The rigor with which the award selection committee evaluates nominees is very exacting, and the results that Illumina and UnitedHealth Group have produced through consistent, ongoing innovation efforts are extraordinary. It is an honor to recognize them for their achievements,” said Brad Barbera, PDMA Executive Director.
“Illumina and UnitedHealth Group both demonstrate an impressive corporate commitment to innovation, resulting in a successful track record of significant new product and service launches in the past five years. Both compete in one of today’s most challenging markets, healthcare, and both have used innovation to provide unique customer-focused solutions and to gain a competitive edge,” said Sally Evans Kay, Chair of PDMA’s Outstanding Corporate Innovator Selection Committee.
Illumina, Inc.
Illumina’s success has been driven by its ability to develop disruptive, integrated solutions that advance the understanding of genetics and health. Its innovation process integrates activities across the entire organization spanning strategic planning processes, collaborations with customers, academia and technology developers, implemented in a robust product development process.
“Illumina is honored to receive this recognition,” said Jay Flatley, President and CEO of Illumina. “Innovation is a core value of the Illumina culture and will continue to drive our goal of leveraging the wealth of information found in human genomes into a central pillar of clinical diagnostics, disease management and proactive health management.”
UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group demonstrates an exceptionally strong organizational and cultural commitment to innovation. Guided by a well-articulated innovation strategy, the company uses Design Thinking to systematically develop practical solutions to identified global health challenges. UnitedHealth Group also employs other approaches, including a company-wide Innovation Council, Innovation Champions, emerging business incubators, open innovation, innovation labs and collaborations with other organizations to facilitate the development of game-changing new products and services.
Stephen J. Hemsley, president and chief executive officer of UnitedHealth Group, said, “We are honored to receive such a prestigious award that recognizes both our long-term commitment to practical innovation on behalf of the people we serve and the passion our employees have for the work we do every day, helping people live healthier lives and making the health care system work better for everyone.”
More information regarding the Outstanding Corporate Innovator Awards is found at www.pdma.org/about_oci.cfm.
About Product Development and Management Association (PDMA)
Product Development and Management Association (www.pdma.org), a non-profit association, is the premier global advocate for product development and management professionals, providing resources for professional development, learning and networking to enable innovation efforts. Call 312.673.5528 for Product Innovation Management Annual Global Conference sponsorship opportunities.
About Illumina, Inc.
Illumina (www.illumina.com) is a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of life science tools and integrated systems for the analysis of genetic variation and function. They provide innovative sequencing and array-based solutions for genotyping, copy number variation analysis, methylation studies, gene expression profiling and low-multiplex analysis of DNA, RNA, and protein, as well as tools and services fueling advances in consumer genomics and diagnostics. Illumina’s technology and products accelerate genetic analysis research and its application, paving the way for molecular medicine and ultimately transforming healthcare.
About UnitedHealthcare Group
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health and well-being company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making health care work better. With headquarters in Minnetonka, Minn., UnitedHealth Group (www.unitedhealthgroup.com) offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. Through its businesses, UnitedHealth Group serves more than 75 million people worldwide.
Media Contacts:
Product Development and Management Association
Kim Jones
+1.312.673.5740
kjones@pdma.org
Illumina, Inc.
Laura Trotter
+1.858.882.6822
pr@illumina.com
UnitedHealth Group
Dimitri Senaratna
+1.952.936.3275
dimitri_senaratna@uhc.com
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