Looking back at the Women in Pharma Awards 2026, held on 29th April at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry, Liz Allan of Exyte stood out as a worthy recipient of the Best Engineering and Manufacturing Operations Leadership award, a recognition that captured the full breadth of what exceptional engineering leadership looks like in practice.

Liz Allan brings to her work a rare combination of technical brilliance and a deeply human approach to leadership. On major global projects, she leads with vision and integrity, setting a standard of engineering excellence while ensuring that the people delivering that work are supported, developed, and inspired. It is a balance that is difficult to strike and even harder to sustain across the complexity and scale of the projects Exyte undertakes.

Her influence extends well beyond individual project delivery. Liz Allan actively builds capability within her teams, strengthening the culture around her and creating environments where engineers, particularly women entering and advancing within the field, feel seen, supported, and motivated to grow. In an industry still working to close its gender gap in technical and leadership roles, her visibility and deliberate commitment to inspiring future engineers carries weight that goes well beyond her immediate sphere of influence.

This people-first mindset does not come at the expense of performance. Rather, it drives it. The culture Liz cultivates, one of shared purpose, high standards, and mutual accountability, is precisely what enables the delivery of complex, high-value engineering projects to the standard global clients expect of Exyte.

The judging panel recognised in Liz Allan a leader who elevates not just the work, but the people around her, and in doing so, elevates the profession itself. Her win at the Women in Pharma Awards 2026 reflects a standard of engineering and manufacturing operations leadership that sets a compelling benchmark for the industry.

Stay tuned for the Women in Pharma Awards 2027 cycle, where the next generation of remarkable women in the pharmaceutical field will be celebrated.

View the full list of winners at www.womeninpharmaawards.ie/shortlist, and subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed on future award cycles and industry news.