Rod’s Awards
Rodney Cotton has garnered significant recognition for his impactful contributions across the healthcare, biotech and corporate governance sectors. Among his notable accolades, he was named one of the Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America by Savoy Magazine. He also received distinction as one of the Top Blacks in Healthcare by BlackDoctor.org.
Further cementing his influence in boardrooms, Rod has been recognized among the Most Influential Corporate Directors by Savoy Magazine and as one of the 100 Black Board Members Making a Difference by BoardProspects.
Perhaps one of the most unique and highest honors Rod has received is The Sagamore of the Wabash Award, bestowed by Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb. This is one of the highest civilian honors in the State of Indiana, recognizing distinguished service to the state or to humanity in general.
Rod’s Impact
Honors & Awards
2025 BLOC100 Champion - Catalyst
About BLOC100: This initiative was born from a mission to amplify leadership, accelerate access and build lasting legacies of success. BLOC100 was created to ensure the pipeline of exceptional talent within our community is not only acknowledged — but placed front and center for the opportunities they deserve. Every honoree was nominated by peers who recognize their excellence, leadership and the unique value they bring to the industry.
Sagamore of the Wabash Award
The Sagamore of the Wabash Award is the highest honor bestowed by a sitting governor of Indiana. The award states that the honoree is “distinguished by his (her) humanity in living, his loyalty in friendship, his wisdom in council and his inspiration in leadership.” The governor confers the award to persons who have rendered distinguished service to the State or the sitting governor.
2024 Most Influential Corporate Directors in America
Savoy’s 2024 Most Influential Corporate Directors issue showcases an elite representation of accomplished leaders recognized for their executive and business leadership in national and global-leading corporations. These innovative trailblazers have led efforts to foster growth for some of the country’s highest-performing companies throughout and beyond the U.S. market.
2023 BDO Top Blacks in Healthcare
Twelve honorees were selected from over 250 of the most accomplished Black healthcare professionals in America by a panel including BlackDoctor.org editors and key individual partner organizations such as the National Medical Association and The George Washington University.
The award recognizes distinguished African- American healthcare executives for their contributions to the industry. It highlights them as role models to other minority healthcare leaders and the Black community.
2025 100 Black Board Members Making a Difference
BoardProspects is a prestigious boardroom community. It honors Black History Month by recognizing 100 Black Board Members Making a Difference in the February issue of Board Recruitment, its flagship e-publication distributed monthly to more than 62,000 institutional investors, board members and C-suite executives.
The feature highlights the exceptional contributions of Black directors who are driving innovation, shaping strategy and advancing corporate governance across industries.
2022 Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America
The top 300 honorees chosen included those serving as business executives or in C-suite roles at major companies who demonstrated a commitment to excellence within their companies and also played an active role in the community.
Rod Cotton, with 40+ years of executive-level Fortune 50 biotech and healthcare experience, is a go-to board director for some of the world’s most discerning and forward-thinking organizations in the sector. In critical board position roles, whether private, public or VC-related, Rod stays on top of the pulse of how rapid technology advancements affect the world of health tech so he can continually advise on where to go next to drive the best results.