Every year, the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) recognizes its class of Rising Stars and Luminaries — women early in their careers and seasoned professionals, respectively, who have made a significant impact on their organizations and the broader health care industry.  

This year, Prime Therapeutics (Prime) is honored to share two of its employees were recognized with these awards: Christine Romano, assistant vice president of service excellence, who was recognized as an HBA Luminary, and Amber Kissner, senior director of customer and digital experience, who was recognized as an HBA Rising Star.  

These annual awards honor female employees who are nominated by the HBA’s corporate partner companies.  

Christine Romano 

This year, Romano celebrated 21 years with Prime, where she leads a team of more than 170 employees, helping all Prime clients achieve the highest levels of service. Throughout her decades-long career as a leader in the health care industry, Romano always strives to think differently. She is passionate about creating an inclusive culture, where women are empowered to pursue leadership positions. It’s because of this passion that Romano founded Service Excellence’s Change Champion Network, which helps to prepare, equip and support teams through changes happening across the company. She has also been a member of the Women’s Health Leadership TRUST (WHL TRUST) for several years. 

“I’m grateful to the HBA for this incredible recognition,” Romano said. “I’m always glad to share what I’ve learned along the way to help the next generation of women leaders. We all have the ability to change health care for the better, but it’s about encouraging, empowering and advocating for more women to step up and get the job done.”   

Amber Kissner 

Kissner is no stranger to leadership. Her career began at Target, where she spent almost eight years leading teams in stores and corporate operations. She pivoted from retail to health care when she joined the nonprofit health care system Allina Health and implemented a “hospitality-focused strategy that incorporated human, digital and physical design elements.” Kissner’s work led to higher patient engagement across multiple digital platforms.  

Since joining Prime in 2022, Kissner has overseen Prime’s Customer and Digital Experience team helping create a positive experience for clients and members across channels. She is also highly engaged in professional development opportunities, getting involved with the WHL TRUST and serving as a mentor to various employees at Prime.   

“I am so honored to be named among this year’s Rising Stars,” Kissner said. “This recognition makes me so grateful for the many opportunities I’ve had to mentor, support my colleagues and help provide the kind of care we’d want for our loved ones at Prime. Being named a 2025 Rising Star is truly a testament to the incredible teams I’ve had the honor to be a part of and the work we’ve done together. Like the saying goes, ‘Little drops of water make the mighty ocean,’ we can make a big difference at Prime with everyone working together.”   

This year’s Rising Stars and Luminaries will be recognized at the HBA Woman of the Year event on May 9 at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk in Chicago.  Last year, Prime employees Simone Ndujiuba and Jacki Shugart were named 2024 Rising Stars. Learn more about the HBA and its annual awards at hbanet.org.