Patrick McLaughlin, Chief Operating Officer, is a highly experienced leader in the life sciences sector, with nearly 30 years of expertise.

In his current role, Patrick is responsible for driving the development of organizational and cross-entity strategic plans that promote growth, integration, and collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders. He directs organizational development activities with a focus on standardization, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, continuous performance improvement, and regulatory compliance, while also adapting to innovations in clinical research.

Patrick’s career in clinical research began in 1996 when he was appointed President of the Institute of Clinical Research (ICR), a full-service, multi-specialty dedicated research site. During his tenure, Patrick played a pivotal role in negotiating the sale of ICR to Protocare, a Site Management Organization, which recognized ICR as one of its premier sites, setting a standard for other Protocare sites.

In the same year, Patrick was recruited as the Executive Director of Advanced Clinical Research Institute in Anaheim, CA, where he successfully led the organization into the Phase I clinical research sector, expanding its focus beyond Phase II-IV studies. In 2007, Patrick was instrumental in the purchase of an 8,800-square-foot, dedicated Phase I facility and rebranded the company as Anaheim Clinical Trials (ACT). ACT grew into a leading and innovative player in the industry, ultimately being acquired by CenExel in 2019.

Patrick earned a degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin.