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First Annual European Celebration of CDMO Excellence

For more than a decade, the CDMO Leadership Awards have represented one of the industry’s most prestigious honors, recognizing contract development and manufacturing organizations that consistently deliver excellence across performance, innovation, and partnership.

We are proud to host this premier celebration of CDMO performance in Frankfurt during CPHI, the industry’s biggest week for connection and collaboration among global biopharma leaders.

Leadership Awards Categories

Derived from proprietary data by Life Science Connect and research by Orientation Marketing, CDMO buyers from across biopharma evaluated the partners they worked with in the past 24 months. A blended scoring system based on Net Promoter Scores and Best-in-Class Rankings determines the finalists and champions.

Categories of Excellence

  • Cell & Gene Therapy
  • Biologics
  • Small Molecule API
  • Small Molecule Dosage Form

All finalists are notified in advance and announced on stage. Only champions are called up to keep the evening moving at pace.

Special European CDMO Jury Awards

In addition to data-driven recognition, the European CDMO Jury Awards highlight achievements selected by a distinguished panel of industry leaders, supported by LinkedIn community voting. The Jury Awards highlight European CDMOs and investors demonstrating excellence in areas such as performance, innovation, and sustainability.

Jury Award Categories

  • European CDMO of the Year
  • Best New or Reinvented CDMO of the Year
  • Best European Innovative CDMO
  • Best European CDMO Management Team
  • Best European PE Team Supporting CDMO
  • CDMO Sustainability in Action Award
  • Best Manufacturing Capabilities

Jury Co-Chairs

  • John Chiminski, Senior Advisor, Bourne Partners; former Chair and CEO, Catalent
  • Dr. Kurt Nielsen, Managing Director, Expert Insights; former CEO, Pii; executive at Catalent, Lupin, and Sandoz

Vice Chair

  • Elliott Berger, Board Director, Orientation Marketing; former CMO, Catalent

Jury Members

  • Julien Meissonnier, Senior Advisor to life science investors and innovators; former Chief Scientific Officer, Catalent; Board Member, Prolific Machines
  • Christian Dowdeswell, Managing Director, Arcinova, a Quotient Company; former executive, Lonza, Siegfried, and Nanoform
  • Felicity Thomas, Associate Director of Editorial and Content, The Pharma Navigator
  • Pablo Magnani, COO, Towa International; formerly VP, FAREVA and CEO, Medichem
  • Elisabeth Stampa, Chair of the Board of Directors, Medichem; Vice President, Medicines Europe
  • Dr. Stefan Kahl, Director, Global Life Sciences Consulting, BearingPoint; previously Head of Life Sciences & Healthcare Consulting, Cognizant
  • David Perdigo, CEO, Noucor; previously, Director, Uriach
  • Dr. Thilo Fuchs, Head of Global API Sourcing, Sandoz; previously Head of API Sourcing, Hexal
  • Will Downie, Strategic Advisor, Touchlight; Operating Partner, Adveent; former CEO, Argenta

Ceremony & Reception

Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Time: 7:30–9:30 PM
Location: Steigenberger Hof Hotel, Frankfurt

The evening will feature an exclusive Awards Ceremony and Cocktails & Trophies Reception, celebrating Champions and Jury Award winners in the opulent Steigenberger Hof Hotel. Organized by Orientation Events, the night will be followed by a special Afterparty marking Orientation Marketing’s 10th Anniversary with drinks, music, and more.

Attendance is by invitation only.

Sponsors & Supporters

Premier Sponsors

Contributing Sponsors

Note: The CDMO Leadership Awards Europe is an independent event organized by Life Science Connect and is not affiliated with CPHI or Informa Markets.