Annual award recognizes achievements of immigrants who have made outstanding contributions to U.S.
BOSTON, MA – January 5, 2026 – The International Institute of New England (IINE) has named Dr. Yvonne Greenstreet, Chief Executive Officer of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, as the recipient of its 44th annual Golden Door Award. The prestigious honor is given each year to a leader born outside of the United States, who has made outstanding contributions to American society. Dr. Greenstreet will be recognized at The Golden Door Award Gala held on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at the Omni Seaport Hotel in Boston.
“Dr. Greenstreet’s decades-long commitment to delivering transformative medicines to patients across the globe is remarkable and exemplifies the ingenuity and drive so many immigrants and refugees bring to our country,” said Jeff Thielman, President and CEO of IINE. “Dr. Greenstreet’s journey, from training as a physician overseas to leading a revolutionary biopharmaceutical company here in Boston, is an inspiration that embodies the spirit of opportunity that our organization celebrates.”
Dr. Greenstreet, MD, MBA, OBE, is an esteemed leader with more than 30 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. Born in London and raised in Ghana and the U.K., she earned a medical degree from the University of Leeds and practiced as a clinician before earning her MBA from INSEAD and moving into the biopharmaceutical industry, driven by her ambition to have an even greater impact on patients. She moved to the United States in 2004.
Her career includes significant senior roles at GlaxoSmithKline plc and Pfizer, where she ran a rapidly growing multi-billion-dollar medicine development division. Greenstreet joined Alnylam in 2016 as chief operating officer, rising to become president and then, in late 2021, CEO. She has guided Alnylam’s quest to turn the Nobel-Prize-winning science of RNA interference into a new class of medicines and helped to transform the company from a pioneering R&D organization into one of the top biotechnology companies in the world, with a portfolio of medicines available in more than 70 countries and an expanding pipeline of promising medicines in development for both rare and prevalent diseases. Under Greenstreet, Alnylam has consistently earned recognition as an exceptional workplace and socially responsible company.
Greenstreet serves on the board of directors of The American Funds and the Biomedical Sciences Careers Program and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2025 for services to the biotechnology and life sciences industry and was recognized in 2024 as the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Woman of Year.
“Yvonne exemplifies the extraordinary contributions immigrants make to our nation and to the life sciences—through vision, compassion, hard work and a steadfast belief in what is possible,” said Julie Kim, CEO-elect at Takeda. “Her leadership at Alnylam has driven remarkable scientific progress while remaining firmly grounded in purpose and impact for patients. This recognition is a well-deserved acknowledgment of her influence on our industry and on human health.“
“I am deeply honored to receive the Golden Door Award,” said Greenstreet. “My own journey—from growing up in Ghana and the U.K., to leading a company dedicated to changing lives through science—has been shaped by the support, openness, and belief of others along the way. Immigrants and refugees bring with them resilience, creativity, and a drive to contribute that strengthens the communities they join. The work IINE does to welcome and empower newcomers is vital to ensuring that these same qualities continue to enrich our society.”
The 44th Golden Door Award Gala is chaired by senior industry leaders in Boston, including Julie Kim, CEO-elect at Takeda, Graham Robinson, Partner at Kirkland & Ellis, LLP, and Anthony Consigli, CEO, Consigli Construction Company.
At a time of increasingly restrictive immigration policy and substantial funding cuts at the federal level, the annual gala will raise critical funds to support IINE’s programs, ensuring that refugees and immigrants continue to find welcome, support, and opportunity in our New England communities.
SOBRE EL INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE NUEVA INGLATERRA
El Instituto Internacional de Nueva Inglaterra (IINE) crea oportunidades para que los refugiados y los inmigrantes tengan éxito a través del reasentamiento, la educación, la promoción profesional y las vías hacia la ciudadanía. Con sedes en Boston y Lowell (Massachusetts) y Manchester (New Hampshire), el IINE atiende anualmente a más de 10.000 personas, entre ellas desplazados por la inestabilidad política, la violencia y las crisis climáticas, niños y adultos supervivientes de la trata de seres humanos y menores no acompañados que se reúnen con familiares en Nueva Inglaterra. El IINE ofrece una amplia gama de programas y servicios para ayudar a estos recién llegados a sentirse bienvenidos, lograr estabilidad y seguridad, y acceder a recursos en sus nuevas comunidades; avanzar en sus objetivos de educación y empleo; e integrarse en sus comunidades. La experiencia del IINE se basa en más de un siglo de servicio, y con la continua colaboración de grupos comunitarios y el apoyo de filántropos de toda Nueva Inglaterra, el IINE continuará prestando este servicio durante los próximos 100 años y más allá.
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