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.
A PROPOS DE L'INSTITUT INTERNATIONAL DE LA NOUVELLE-ANGLETERRE
L'Institut international de la Nouvelle-Angleterre (IINE) offre aux réfugiés et aux immigrants la possibilité de réussir grâce à la réinstallation, à l'éducation, à l'avancement professionnel et aux voies d'accès à la citoyenneté. Implanté à Boston et Lowell, dans le Massachusetts, et à Manchester, dans le New Hampshire, l'IINE accueille chaque année plus de 10 000 personnes, notamment des personnes déplacées en raison de l'instabilité politique, de la violence et des crises climatiques, des enfants et des adultes victimes de la traite des êtres humains, ainsi que des enfants non accompagnés qui rejoignent des membres de leur famille en Nouvelle-Angleterre. L'IINE offre une gamme complète de programmes et de services pour aider ces nouveaux arrivants à se sentir les bienvenus, à atteindre la stabilité et la sécurité, à accéder aux ressources de leur nouvelle communauté, à progresser dans leurs objectifs en matière d'éducation et d'emploi, et à s'intégrer dans leur communauté. L'expertise de l'IINE s'appuie sur plus d'un siècle de service et, grâce au partenariat continu des groupes communautaires et au soutien des philanthropes de toute la Nouvelle-Angleterre, l'IINE poursuivra ce service pour les 100 prochaines années et au-delà.
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