BOSTON, March 5, 2018-PAREXEL International Corporation, the world’s leading innovator of biopharmaceutical services, today announced the appointment of Jamie Macdonald as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective March 15, 2018. Josef von Rickenbach, who co-founded the Company, will retire from his daily CEO duties and continue as Chairman of the Board.
“It is a tremendous honor for me to join PAREXEL,” said Jamie Macdonald. “As a trail blazer in the biopharmaceutical services industry, the Company enjoys well-deserved recognition as having the kind of deep therapeutic and functional expertise, global reach and innovative capability to continue its leadership. Joe carefully crafted and nurtured an entrepreneurial spirit that is well established, and his role in the development of the industry cannot be overstated. I am humbled to have the opportunity to build on this legacy and look forward to continued growth and excellence for PAREXEL.”
Mr. Macdonald led INC Research, now known as Syneos Health, for several years first as CEO and most recently as Vice Chairman. Under Mr. Macdonald’s leadership, INC Research delivered industry-leading growth and margins, experienced strong operational and market performance, and undertook a successful Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2014. Prior to this time, he served as INC’s Chief Operating Officer. In addition, Mr. Macdonald has held several leadership positions in the biopharmaceutical services industry, including Senior Vice President and Head of Global Project Management at Quintiles, now known as IQVIA. He served as Chairman of the Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO) Board of Directors in 2015.
Mr. von Rickenbach co-founded PAREXEL in 1982 and has since served as Chairman and CEO, building the company to a valuation of over five billion dollars with operations in more than 100 countries.
“When we started PAREXEL more than 35 years ago, not only was it the beginning of a new company, it was also the dawn of a new industry,” said Mr. von Rickenbach. “Today, a new era begins. The biopharmaceutical services industry is more dynamic and exciting than ever, and Jamie is the right leader to take PAREXEL into the future. I am confident that our next generation will be an even greater one and I am delighted to have him join the Company. I look forward to working with Jamie to continue PAREXEL’s leadership in the marketplace.”
A native of Scotland, Mr. Macdonald has held several global positions throughout his career. He will be based at PAREXEL’s corporate headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts.
About PAREXEL International
PAREXEL International Corporation is the world’s leading innovator of biopharmaceutical services. We simplify our clients’ journey of transforming scientific discoveries into new medical treatments for patients with high-quality Phase I-IV clinical research, regulatory, consulting and market access services. PAREXEL develops breakthrough innovations and solutions by leveraging its comprehensive therapeutic, technical and functional expertise, in more than 100 countries around the world. For more information visit www.PAREXEL.com.
PAREXEL and PAREXEL Informatics are trademarks or registered trademarks of PAREXEL International Corporation or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
# # #
PAREXEL Contacts:
Media:
Wendy Ryan
Tel.: +1 781-434-5104
Email: Wendy.Ryan@PAREXEL.com
Kathryn McMahon Arrigg, PAN Communications
Tel.: +1 617-502-4300
Email: PAREXEL@pancomm.com
Unifying Industry to Better Understand GCP Guidance
May 7th 2025In this episode of the Applied Clinical Trials Podcast, David Nickerson, head of clinical quality management at EMD Serono; and Arlene Lee, director of product management, data quality & risk management solutions at Medidata, discuss the newest ICH E6(R3) GCP guidelines as well as how TransCelerate and ACRO have partnered to help stakeholders better acclimate to these guidelines.
Roche’s Susvimo Lands FDA Approval for Diabetic Retinopathy Based on Phase III Pavilion Trial Data
May 22nd 2025One-year results from the Pavilion study showed patients who received Susvimo (ranibizumab) refilled every nine months achieved superior improvements on the Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale.
FDA Outlines Updated Requirement for Placebo-Controlled Trials in Vaccine Research
May 21st 2025In an article recently published by The New England Journal of Medicine, FDA higher-ups Vinay Prasad, MD, MPH; and Martin A. Makary, MD, MPH, wrote that any new COVID-19 vaccine must now be evaluated in placebo-controlled studies.