SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — MasterControl, a leading provider of quality and manufacturing software solutions for the life sciences industry, hosted the 2026 Masters Summit, an annual event that brings together manufacturing, quality, and asset management leaders. During the October event, MasterControl announced the winners of this year’s Masters of Excellence Awards, which recognize outstanding achievements in quality management, manufacturing, asset excellence, and innovation. These annual awards honor MasterControl customers who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and excellence in their respective fields.

This year we recognized four individuals and organizations for their exceptional contributions to advancing quality, compliance, and innovation across the life sciences industry. The award categories and winners are as follows:

Quality Champion: Anthony Contreras, Jamieson Wellness

Quality Champion award winner Anthony Contreras, quality system compliance director at Jamieson Wellness, has demonstrated outstanding leadership in advancing a culture of quality and compliance across the organization. He consistently demonstrates a deep commitment to excellence by ensuring quality systems not only meet regulatory standards but also improve continuously to drive operational efficiency.

With his expertise and strategic vision, Contreras has strengthened processes, improved audit readiness, and fostered cross-functional collaboration, enabling teams to uphold the highest standards of quality and integrity. His ability to translate complex compliance requirements into practical, sustainable solutions has had a measurable impact on both performance and organizational confidence, delivering consistent documentation and streamlined processes across eight departments using MasterControl. Beyond his technical contributions, Contreras is a trusted leader and mentor who empowers others, promotes accountability, and inspires a proactive approach to quality. He creates an environment where colleagues feel comfortable seeking guidance and collaboration, strengthening team cohesion and effectiveness. His dedication, professionalism, and results-driven mindset make him an exemplary representative of the MasterControl customer community.

Manufacturing Excellence: Thorne

Thorne received the Manufacturing Excellence Award for its progress in digitizing manufacturing operations. In 2026 alone, the company converted 80% of its paper batch records to electronic batch records (EBR) using MasterControl Manufacturing Excellence (Mx), with full implementation targeted by year-end and MasterControl Logbooks planned next. Over five years of working with MasterControl, Thorne has developed deep expertise in Mx, driving measurable improvements in right-first-time rates, record review and release times, and quality performance.

This progress builds on Thorne’s strong quality foundation. The company simplified workflows while preserving the multiple inspections, process controls, and verification checks embedded in its robust master manufacturing records. System validation, controlled access, audit trails, and electronic signature controls supported compliance with applicable electronic recordkeeping and signature requirements.

Greater access to manufacturing and quality data helps teams identify trends earlier, streamline investigations and make informed decisions. Together, these capabilities support continuous improvement and growth while maintaining the rigorous standards practitioners and consumers expect.

Asset Excellence: NeoGenomics

NeoGenomics received the 2026 Asset Excellence recognition, represented by Systems & Implementation Supervisor Faizan Ahmed. As a long-standing customer and deeply engaged partner, NeoGenomics has significantly increased its investment over time, expanding its platform use across the organization in a way that reflects genuine confidence in the technology and a commitment to scaling quality operations the right way.

What truly sets the NeoGenomics team apart is their collaborative spirit. They have been an enthusiastic, on-the-ground partner in testing and validating new features and cutting-edge integrations, including Elemental Machines, ADF (Azure Data Factory), and Qualer Identity. Their engagement brings sharp, thoughtful feedback on current capabilities and forward-looking input on where the platform should go next. Ahmed, NeoGenomics’ internal champion, is at the heart of this partnership, driving collaboration, maintaining open lines of communication, and consistently pushing to equip his team with richer data and more insightful reporting.

Innovation Excellence: Natera

Natera received the Innovation Excellence recognition for 2026, represented by Kathryn Bell, senior director, quality assurance, and Jacqueline Jaskula, vice president, regulatory affairs. Natera is transforming what’s possible in precision medicine through its pioneering use of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) technology. With more than 400 peer-reviewed publications supporting its technology across women’s health, oncology and organ health, Natera has built a significant library of evidence based on rigorous science.

Some of the company’s groundbreaking products include: the Panorama™ noninvasive prenatal test (NIPT), the Prospera™ transplant assessment test, and the Signatera™ molecular residual disease (MRD) test. Signatera detects circulating tumor DNA at the molecular level and is a foundational tool in modern cancer care. In 2026, Signatera received companion diagnostic approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for muscle-invasive bladder cancer, became the first MRD test approved by Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), and was incorporated into the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) guideline recommendations for patients with bladder cancer. Together, these milestones reflect Natera’s continued effort to set a new benchmark for how diagnostics can improve and extend lives – enabling earlier detection, more informed treatment decisions and better outcomes for patients.

The Masters of Excellence Awards celebrate the remarkable achievements of these individuals and organizations and their commitment to delivering life-changing products to people around the world.

“The Masters of Excellence award winners represent the best of what’s possible when organizations commit to digital transformation, innovation, and excellence across quality and manufacturing,” said MasterControl CEO David Edwards. “Their achievements set new benchmarks for the life sciences industry and demonstrate the real business impact that connected solutions can deliver, from data-driven quality cultures to advanced manufacturing capabilities and groundbreaking diagnostic innovations.”

For more information about the Masters of Excellence Awards, the Masters Summit, and MasterControl’s software solutions, please visit www.mastercontrol.com.

About MasterControl
MasterControl Solutions Inc. is the premier AI-fueled quality and manufacturing platform for life sciences and other regulated industries. For three decades, our mission has been the same as that of our customers – to bring life-changing products to more people sooner. MasterControl helps organizations digitize, automate, and connect manufacturing, quality, and asset management processes and has a proven track record of improving product quality, reducing costs, and accelerating time to market. Over 1,300 companies worldwide use MasterControl to streamline operations, maintain compliance, manage critical assets and equipment, easily analyze and interpret large amounts of data, and visualize business insights in real time.

For more information, visit www.mastercontrol.com.

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