What Happened?

About the Company

PPD is a leading global contract research organization providing drug discovery, development, lifecycle management and laboratory services. Our clients and partners include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, academic and government organizations. With offices in 46 countries and approximately 13,000 professionals worldwide, PPD applies innovative technologies, therapeutic expertise and a commitment to quality to help clients and partners accelerate the delivery of safe and effective therapeutics and maximize the returns on their R&D investments.

About the Person

Mike Wilkinson leads PPD’s global technology, innovation and performance (TIP) group, focused on offering continuous improvement solutions to address clients’ current and future development needs. The TIP group is composed of four previously separate divisions now integrated under Wilkinson’s leadership: process improvement, information technology, global learning and performance, and business analytics. This integrated structure is unique in the industry and provides a holistic and integrated approach to continuous improvement that optimizes process, innovates technology, trains and develops staff, measures performance, and then uses those metrics to initiate another cycle of continuous improvement.   Wilkinson joined PPD in 2007 as executive vice president of global clinical development, responsible for providing strategic leadership to PPD’s Phase II-IV operations in North America; Latin America; Europe, Middle East and Africa; and Asia Pacific. He previously served as global head of internal medicine and vice president of project management for another contract research organization.   Prior to joining the biopharmaceutical industry, Wilkinson spent 23 years in the U.S. military where he began his career as a Navy SEAL. Wilkinson earned a doctorate in physiological optics from Indiana University, a master's degree from Penn State University and a bachelor's degree from Ohio University.