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Annual Benefit Gala Honorees

Annual Benefit Gala Honorees

Giovanni Caforio, M.D.
Chairman & CEO
Bristol Myers Squibb

Giovanni Caforio, M.D., is Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Bristol Myers Squibb. Under Giovanni’s leadership, BMS is delivering innovative medicines to treat patients with cancer, auto-immune diseases and cardiovascular disease, and is advancing one of the most diverse and promising pipelines in the industry. Giovanni leads a diverse global workforce dedicated to the company’s mission of discovering, developing and delivering innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases.

Giovanni was appointed CEO in 2015 and elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2017. Today the company is a leading biopharma company focused on transforming patients’ lives through science. He has developed a strong patient-focused culture and has led BMS’ drive to promote an inclusive culture where employees are encouraged to challenge the status quo and bring forward solutions to address the most challenging diseases of our time.
Giovanni is an active champion for a policy environment that values healthcare innovation and supports patient access to medicines. Reflecting his advocacy, in 2015 he joined the Board of Directors for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, known as PhRMA, and in 2019 was named Chairman.

Prior to becoming CEO, Giovanni served as chief operating officer responsible for leading the global commercial organization, enabling functions and Global Manufacturing & Supply. This was preceded by appointment as the company’s chief commercial officer.

Born and educated in Italy, Giovanni received his medical doctorate from the University of Rome.

Emma Stone
Actress & Gilda’s Club NYC Ambassador

Academy Award winning actress Emma Stone has claimed her role as one of Hollywood’s most versatile and sought-after actresses working today, having captivated the industry’s attention with her award-winning work in many of the most notable films of the past decade.

In 2018, Stone was seen in Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite for FOX Searchlight alongside Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman and Nicholas Hoult. Her performance earned her several nominations including an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and British Academy of Film and Television Award. The Favourite, nominated for 10 Academy Awards, follows the political machinations behind the scenes during the reign of Queen Anne, the last monarch of the House of Stuarts.

In 2016, Stone won the Academy Award for “Best Actress” for her role in Damien Chazelle’s La La Land. She was also recognized with the Screen Actors Guild Award for “Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role,” Golden Globe for “Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy,” British Academy Film Award for “Best Actress in a Leading Role” and “Best Actress” at the Venice Film Festival for her work in the film. She was honored along with co-star Ryan Gosling with the Santa Barbara Film Festival’s “Outstanding Performers of the Year” and the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s “Vanguard Award” with Gosling and Chazelle.

Stone was most recently seen in Zombieland 2: Double Tap, the sequel to Ruben Fleischer’s 2009 adventure comedy classic. Stone joins an ensemble of Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin. The film was released on October 18th, 2019 by Columbia Pictures.

She will star in the sequel to DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods alongside Ryan Reynolds, Nicolas Cage and Peter Dinklage. The Croods 2 is set to release December 2020.

Stone recently wrapped production on Disney’s CRUELLA, starring as Cruella de Vil. The film tells the story behind the 101 Dalmations villain and sheds light on what led her to become the iconic puppy-terrorizer we first saw in the 1961 original. The film is set to release May 2021. 

In 2014, Stone made her Broadway debut playing the iconic ‘Sally Bowles’ in Rob Marshall’s production of Cabaret. The New York Times said, “Emma Stone is scintillating in an irresistible Broadway debut. Her Sally is wild, fierce and heartbreaking – someone you’re unlikely to forget. She provides a very good reason to revisit Cabaret.”

When she’s not filming, Stone is also an ambassador for Gilda’s Club New York City. Since joining as Gilda’s Club NYC Ambassador, Stone has become an active member in the Gilda’s Club community and continues to do so by engaging with their youth support program for children and teens who are either living with a loved one diagnosed with cancer or grieving the loss of a loved one due to cancer. Read more about her involvement with us here

Native of Arizona, Emma currently resides in between New York and Los Angeles.