Pharmacist at heart
A Journey of Leadership, Innovation and Impact
Ornella Barra received an honorary Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa, from Nottingham Trent University in recognition of her outstanding contribution to business leadership and entrepreneurship.
“Some careers are carefully planned. Others are shaped by vision and the courage to embrace opportunity. Ornella Barra’s journey reflects both.”
From her beginnings as a pharmacist in Chiavari, Italy, to helping shape one of the world’s largest pharmacy-led health and wellbeing enterprises, Ornella has demonstrated exceptional leadership, resilience and a lifelong dedication to people. Her journey reflects a simple truth: leadership is defined not only by success, but by resilience, reinvention and the courage to think bigger.”
Commitment to Education and Community
Today, Ornella is Honorary Professor and Honorary Doctor of Science at the University of Nottingham School of Pharmacy. Ornella teaches students on the four-year pharmacy degree course (MPharm) and she also advises the development of the MPharm degree course itself.
Throughout her career, Ornella has been greatly committed to the support and development of the pharmacist profession. She was also instrumental in the creation of the European Pharmacists Forum (EPF), a unique platform for sharing best practice and discussing strategic issues relating to pharmacy across Europe, operated from 1999 to 2021.