US multinational pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) has been present in Portugal for 45 years and today is the country’s market leader. Maria Cristina Ribeiro has worked in the pharmaceutical industry since 1990 and today heads the legal and compliance affairs functions for MSD’s Portuguese operations, a position she has held for over 20 years. She has always worked to motivate her team and improve its use of technology, ‘since the early days, new tools and digital initiates were applied – I work by example’, she says. Nominators spoke highly of her contribution to MSD saying: ‘[Ribeiro] is, in particular, extremely effective in defending the patents the company has for many dozens of medicines. She also stands out for her work with the various areas of business of the company, including ensuring compliance with the strict rules set out in the company’s code of conduct. Allied to her professional merits, [Ribeiro] has all the human qualities that make an effective leader’.