Quintiles, the world’s largest life science services company, ranks No. 3 among industry rankings for healthcare pharmacy and other services in Fortune’s annual “Most Admired” companies list.

Apple is ranked No. 1 overall followed by Google. 

IBM and AT&T both cracked the top 50.

The Fortune lists includes a “Top 50” for overall rankings. Quintiles (NYSE: Q) did not make that group.

However, CEO Tom Pike took pride in the news.

“I would like to congratulate Quintiles’ employees around the world for making this possible,” Pike said.  “Being named one of the World’s Most Admired Companies is a significant milestone in the history of our company. 
 
“It is recognition that Quintiles is headed in the right direction to deliver value for customers as we improve their probability of success It is now up to all of us in the organization to live up to these expectations.”

In its group, Quintiles (NYSE: Q) ranked in the top 10 for each of the “nine key attributes” considered in determining the rankings. 

Quintiles, which is based in Durham, led the category in global competitiveness.

Cerner ranked No. 1 in the category followed by Team Health Holdings. Covance, which is being bought by Burlington-based LabCorp, placed fourth.

Healthcare: Pharmacy and other services

Nine Key Attributes of Reputation

  • Overall rank 3
  • Innovation 4
  • People management 2
  • Use of corporate assets 7
  • Social responsibility 3
  • Quality of management 3
  • Financial soundness 6
  • Long-term investment value 4
  • Quality of products / services 4
  • Global competitiveness 1

The overall top 10 included:

1. Apple

2. Google

3. Berkshire Hathaway

4. Amazon

5. Starbucks

6. Walt Disney

7. Southwest Airlines

8. American Express

9. General Electric

10. Coca-Cola 

Other technology firms in the top 50 included:

Microsoft, 20; IBM, 25; Facebook, 26; Intel, 40; AT&T, 47.

Fortune’s Methodology

Fortune describes its methodology in picking the list:

“The Most Admired list is the definitive report card on corporate reputations. Our survey partners at Hay Group started with approximately 1,400 companies: the Fortune 1,000 – the 1,000 largest U.S. companies ranked by revenue; non-U.S. companies in Fortune’s Global 500 database with revenues of $10 billion or more. Hay then selected the 15 largest for each international industry and the 10 largest for each U.S. industry, surveying a total of 668 companies from 29 countries. To create the 55 industry lists, Hay asked executives, directors and analysts to rate companies in their own industry on nine criteria, from investment value to social responsibility. A company’s score must rank in the top half of its industry survey to be listed.”

Read more at: http://fortune.com/2015/02/19/wmac-globalization2-0/