Clintec: new execs part of directed growth strategy
The London, UK-based full-service contract research organisation (CRO) has begun 2016 with two senior executive hires, appointing former Merck & Co. Director Dr. Harley Simon as its Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Dr Robert Reekie as Chief Operating Office, and ex-inVentiv Health Clinical exec Dr. Robert Reekie as its Chief Operating Officer (COO).
The appointments are part of ClinTec international’s growth strategy which, according to CEO Rabinder Buttar, “to date has been organic”through the firm’s global clinical research platform.
“The additional leadership team members will be able to leverage on this platform and continue to drive additional scale and new innovative service offerings,” she told Outsourcing-Pharma.com. “We have now entered a new phase of growth and are on track to scale the organisation considerably in the next 12-18 months.”
The addition of Simon will directly help bolster the growth of Clintec’s oncology business, she added, while Reekie “brings three decades of experience during which he has grown a CRO into a top 10 global player.”
Mid-sized ambition
There has been some criticism surrounding mid-sized CROs, described as being squeezed between the pressure of shorter deadlines and higher quality expectations, and the competition from larger peers.
And furthermore, the sector is ripe for consolidation: Synteract acquired German CRO Harrison Clinical Research (HCR) in 2013, Clinipace merged with Accovian, and last year Chiltern bought Theorem.
But while there remains a place for the larger CROs to service big pharma, many companies also are attracted by a high degree of flexibility, fast responsiveness and customised approach which a mid-sized player – such as Clintec - can bring, according to Buttar.
“If you combine our extensive footprint, with our flexibility, it becomes a strong global capability which is highly attractive for a broad range of clients,” she said.
“The company is one of the few remaining CROs with global capability owned by Management, and hence is not subject to the financial goals and priorities of external investors. We can take a long term view on building value for our clients, the company and our employees.”
