In honor of Women’s History Month and the Chamber’s Women’s Forum, the Colorado Chamber is recognizing women business leaders, executives and job creators who are core to our local Colorado communities. Each of the women featured in the month of March are panelists for the Colorado Chamber’s Women’s Forum happening on March 26.
Today’s feature is Antoinette Gawin with Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies
Antoinette Gawin is the president and CEO of Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, a global medical technology company working to unlock the potential of blood and cell-based therapies in more than 150 countries. Throughout her career, Gawin has been guided by a belief that every patient, regardless of who they are or where they live, deserves access to life-changing, quality health care.
Gawin grew up in a small farming community in northern Michigan with about 400 people, where few girls pursued a university education. Her path forward was shaped by scholarships, hard work and the support of people who helped open doors along the way. Watching her father struggle with untreated diabetes also gave her an early and personal understanding of the gaps that can exist in health care systems and the consequences for patients and families.
She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in economics and English from the University of Michigan and later a master’s degree in health policy from DePaul University School of Public Service. Gawin also completed an executive program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Over the past 30 years, Gawin has held global leadership roles across finance, operations and commercial strategy, including positions at GE and Baxter Healthcare. She has focused much of her work on connecting people, technology and purpose to expand patient access and improve health outcomes.
Gawin joined Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies because of the company’s mission to contribute to society through health care. She saw an opportunity to help the organization grow while remaining focused on impact, particularly in areas such as blood availability, cell therapy and improving care for underserved patient populations.
Under her leadership, Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies continues advancing innovations that strengthen the global health care system, including collaborations to scale cell therapy manufacturing, automation technology helping strengthen blood supply systems and joint research focused on improving large-scale production of iPS cells.
In addition to leading Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, Gawin serves as group managing executive officer for Terumo Corporation, a global health care company based in Tokyo.
Gawin also remains deeply engaged in the broader health care and business community. She chairs AdvaMed’s Technology and Regulation Committee and serves as a trustee of The Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board. She has also been recognized as a 2024 Most Admired CEO by the Denver Business Journal.
For aspiring female business owners and leaders, Gawin encourages women to stay grounded in their purpose and the experiences that shaped them.
“Don’t ignore your roots and who you are, make it your greatest source of strength and perspective,” said Gawin. “Be clear about the problem you want to solve and who you are trying to serve. If you stay close to that purpose, it will guide your decisions when things get difficult.”
She also encourages women not to wait until they feel fully ready before pursuing new opportunities.
“Many of the biggest opportunities will show before you feel fully prepared,” she said. “Surround yourself with people who challenge and support you, stay committed to continuous learning and, most importantly, lift other women as you grow. When we create opportunity for each other, we all go further.”
Through decades of leadership in global health care, Gawin continues to focus on expanding access to innovative therapies and strengthening systems that help patients around the world.
Learn more about Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies by visiting their website at https://www.terumobct.com.
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies Social Media: