Novartis’s Kevin Rigby has been selected as the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association’s Mentor of the Year.

Andre Wyss, president of Novartis Corporation and Novartis Pharmaceuticals, said Rigby’s “intuition, optimism, sense of humor and willingness to provide honest, constructive feedback—combined with his skills as an active listener and strategic thinker—make him a sought-after mentor, counselor and confidante to a broad group of individuals.”

Rigby is VP public affairs at Novartis, responsible for government interactions and corporate participation in public policy at federal and state levels. He supervises Novartis’s philanthropic obligations, including programs for the uninsured and underinsured, interactions with elected officials, patient groups, trade associations and non-profit organizations. Rigby is also a chairman of the Healthcare Institute of New Jersey, chair of the New Jersey Workplace Blood Donor Coalition, and board secretary of Choose New Jersey. He also serves as vice chair of the board of the Alliance of Aging Research.

The Honorable Mentor awards recognizes one person each year who demonstrates long-term support for the advancement of women in the healthcare industry and who has a personal dedication to developing, mentoring and promoting women in the industry as well as being supportive of the HBA’s goals. Rigby will be formally recognized in New York City at the group’s 24th annual awards event on Thursday, May 9, 2013.