Leaders & Legends

Craig Mooney almost became a history teacher. But a scheduling change on a summer job sent him to G.H. Besselaar Associates instead — what he'd call the first international CRO — and that accidental entry point put him in the room with the people who seeded the clinical trials industry. From there, Craig spent three decades building one of the deepest bodies of expertise in Interactive Respons...

Kathy Bradrick, grew up watching her father run an independent pharmacy — nights, weekends, calls in the middle of the night. And although she wanted nothing to do with her father's business, she was inspired by his drive and work ethic and always knew she wanted to build something of her own. In this episode, Patty and Kathy trace a career that started with a blind newspaper ad in the early 9...

In Part 2 of his Leaders & Legends conversation, Ken Hyatt — Partner and Co-Founder of CMPartners and Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Global Restoration Institute — walks Patty through the leadership framework he has developed over four decades of work in negotiation and organizational leadership. Ken argues that the world has grown harder than the one most leadership models were buil...

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Patty sits down with Ken Hyatt — Partner & Co-Founder of CMPartners and Executive Director & Co-Founder of the Global Restoration Institute (GRI) — to trace a career spent at the front lines of negotiation, conflict, and leadership. Ken takes us back to winter 1981, when he was in law school with Roger Fisher, reading Getting to Yes in manuscript fo...

George Kramb, CEO and Founder of PatientPartner, shares the deeply personal story behind his company—a cancer diagnosis in his own family that revealed a critical gap in patient support. What started as a simple question ("Can I talk to someone who's been through this?") became the foundation for a platform connecting patients facing difficult healthcare decisions with mentors who&#3...

Patty sits down with Michelle Jones and Jeff Smith, co-producers of the Innovation Network Gathering, to discuss what it takes to design an in-person event that sparks meaningful change in clinical research. They share the origin story behind their “gathering, not conference” mindset, how they use dive teams and their new “Whale Tank” platform to create real dialogue between innovators and buyers,...

Bari Kowal, Senior Vice President and Head of Development Operations & Portfolio Management at Regeneron, joins Patty to trace her career - beginning in early gene therapy in the 1990s, moving through CRO leadership at ICON and big pharma at Pfizer, and ultimately to a decade of building at Regeneron. She shares how “hands-on” biotech roots shaped her leadership style, why culture and founder-...

CEO of Precision for Medicine, Margaret Keegan traces a refreshingly non-linear path from mathematician at the Bank of England to leadership across Glaxo, PPD, Quintiles/IQVIA, PRA, private equity, and now Precision Medicine Group. They unpack how CRO expertise became the engine of trial execution and where Functional Service Provider models help or entrench silos. Margaret shares a pragmatic view...

In this episode, Patty Leuchten sits down with colleague and industry leader Coleen Glessner to discuss the role of culture in driving quality and compliance across the life sciences. Coleen reflects on her journey from the lab bench to senior leadership, her pivotal work at Pfizer during a period of transformation, and why “tone at the top” is critical for building an organization rooted in integ...

In this episode of Leaders & Legends , Patty sits down with Ravi Patel, RPh, PharmD, MBA, SVP of Global Patient Safety at United Therapeutics, PBC . Ravi shares his inspiring journey from his early years in India to becoming a global leader in drug safety and pharmacovigilance. He opens up about how life’s detours shaped his career path, the importance of purpose-driven leadership, and the les...

On this episode of Leaders & Legends, Patty Leuchten welcomes Jill Demby Guest, the visionary filmmaker behind And Now, Love , available for streaming on Apple TV, iTunes, and Amazon Prime. As President of Dreamscape Entertainment and an Emmy‑nominated, festival‑winning director and writer, Jill has built a storytelling career steeped in compelling biographical narratives and social impact fil...

Patty sits down with Erica Conroy, CEO and Founder of Primum, to discuss how her own experience with cancer loss inspired a platform that helps community oncologists connect with academic experts in real time. From life-saving conversations to shaping better clinical trials, Erica shares how Primum is innovating cancer care.

Patty sits down with John Hubbard, Strategic Healthcare Advisor, Board Member, and former CEO and President of multiple organizations across pharma and CROs. John shares a candid perspective on why the clinical trials industry continues to struggle with change adoption and innovation. From leading large-scale transformations at Pfizer to driving industry-wide collaboration through initiatives like...

Patty sits down with Deirdre BeVard for a candid conversation on leadership, patient-centricity, and the evolving clinical trials landscape. From navigating non-linear career paths to addressing data variability and sponsor-CRO dynamics, Deirdre shares personal stories and hard-earned lessons that challenge the status quo — all with her signature authenticity and clarity.

In this episode of Leaders & Legends , Patty Leuchten sits down with industry leader Ken Getz — Executive Director of the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development and founder of CenterWatch and CISCRP. They dive into Ken’s entrepreneurial journey, the role of data in driving change, the future of clinical trial innovation, and the enduring challenges around patient engagement and site su...

In this episode of Leaders & Legends , Patty Leuchten speaks with Peyton Howell, CEO of Parexcel, about her journey from entrepreneur to executive leader and the principles that guide her leadership today. Peyton reflects on the value of bold decision-making early in her career, the importance of aligning teams around purpose, and how her dual experience in both startups and large corporations...

Paul Evans, CEO of Velocity Clinical Research, joins Patty to discuss the evolution of clinical trial sites, the challenges of patient recruitment, and the impact of technology on research efficiency. From his early days in Wales to leading one of the most prominent site networks, Paul shares insights on the industry’s biggest hurdles—and what the future holds.

AI is transforming clinical trials, but it’s not about replacing people—it’s about working smarter. In this episode, Patty Leuchten sits down with Anita Modi , founder of Peer AI , to discuss how AI is reshaping regulatory medical writing, speeding up drug approvals, and making complex processes more efficient. Anita shares her journey from scientist to entrepreneur, her experiences launching a co...

In this episode of Leaders & Legends , Steve Cutler, CEO of ICON, PLC, shares his journey from the pharmaceutical industry to leading one of the world’s top CROs. He reflects on the evolution of the CRO industry, the biggest challenges in clinical trials—especially patient recruitment—and the role of technology in shaping the future. He also gives his insights on leadership, collaboration with...

In this episode of Leaders & Legends, Patty sits down with David Edelman, CEO of Thrivable, to explore how his company is transforming the patient experience and recruitment in healthcare and clinical trials. David shares his journey and the mission behind Thrivable—a platform designed to bridge the gap between patients and healthcare organizations. From building a strong company culture to le...

In this episode of Leaders & Legends , Michelle Longmire, CEO and co-founder of Medable, takes us through her journey from growing up in a family of scientists to leading innovation in the clinical trials space. Michelle shares how her upbringing in a family of scientists, time as a Stanford researcher, and practicing self-reflection shaped her entrepreneurial path. She opens up about the high...

In this episode of Leaders & Legends, Patty Leuchten interviews Keith DiMarino, CEO of GenVault, to discuss his entrepreneurial journey from leading DocuVault to launching GenVault, a biorepository specializing in cold storage. Keith reflects on how his childhood and family values shaped his leadership style, the challenges and surprises he faced while launching GenVault, and the delicate bala...

In this episode of Leaders & Legends , host Patty Leuchten welcomes Jennifer Byrne, CEO and co-founder of Javara, for an inspiring conversation about her journey in clinical trials and leadership. Jennifer reflects on her diverse upbringing, her entrepreneurial spirit shaped by an early paper route job, and how she discovered her passion for clinical research. Together, Patty and Jennifer expl...

In this episode, Pamela Tenaerts, Chief Scientific Officer at Medable, shares her inspiring journey from her childhood in Belgium to the forefront of clinical trial innovation. She talks about her early influences—like her mother's encouragement to pursue independence, the life lessons she gained from competitive volleyball, and her work in clinical research that ultimately led her to Medable, whe...

Welcome to Leaders & Legends, the podcast focused on leadership in clinical trial execution. In each episode, we will get to know the individuals who are driving change and influencing the direction of our industry. Whether you’re a seasoned executive yourself, an emerging leader or simply passionate about clinical trials like I am, join us as we discuss our industry’s most pressing challenges...