BusinessAdmin9/17/2025
Mumbai, September 17th, 2025: Parexel, a leading global clinical research organization (CRO) providing insights-driven Clinical and Consulting solutions to the world’s life sciences industry, today announced the appointment of Rob Goodwin as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Mr. Goodwin’s proven track record of operational excellence, quality and strategic execution enables Parexel to continue to drive value for its customers and accelerate the delivery of life-changing treatments to patients.
In his new role, Mr. Goodwin will report to CEO Peyton Howell and be responsible for leading the core clinical functions, specifically, project management, clinical and data operations, inclusive of early phase clinical units, real world research, and the operational excellence office. His team will include Teri Karcher, President, Global Project Leadership and Launch Excellence, Amy Kissam-Sands, President, Operational Excellence, Delivery and Innovation and Deb Tatton, President, Global Clinical & Data Operations.
“Parexel’s strength lies not only in our ability to deliver for our customers, but also in our capacity to evolve and innovate as we grow. Rob’s deep industry experience and knowledge, biopharma relationships and proven, hands-on expertise are all enormous advantages to Parexel and our team as we continue to advance what it means to be a successful clinical research organization,” said Ms. Howell. “The addition of Rob as Chief Operating Officer further supports our strategic focus as we work to meet – and exceed – our customers’ needs and accelerate our own growth objectives. He is the ideal person for this role and the entire team is excited to collaborate with him as we move forward.”
Mr. Goodwin brings nearly 30 years of biopharmaceutical clinical development experience, most recently serving as Senior Vice President, Clinical Development and Operations, at Pfizer. In this role, he was responsible for establishing, maintaining, and overseeing the global clinical development and operational capabilities required to develop Phase I through Phase IV study protocols and plans, execute clinical trials and deliver post marketing studies to support the introduction of new therapies for patients.
"I’m honored and excited to join Parexel,” said Mr. Goodwin. “I look forward to working alongside our talented team to drive strong execution, deliver the highest quality and reliability, foster meaningful innovation, and provide exceptional service for our customers – all with a continued focus on what matters most, delivering life-saving treatments to patients.”
Mr. Goodwin held roles of increasing seniority and responsibility at Pfizer over 27 years before retiring from the company earlier this year. Prior to his tenure as Senior Vice President, Clinical Development and Operations, he served as Vice President, Operations Center of Excellence, where he was accountable for the creation and implementation of a set of cross-functional core disciplines responsible for facilitating clinical, safety and regulatory operations. He also held the role of Vice President, Safety, Evaluation and Reporting / Pharmacovigilance (PV) Operations and, earlier in his career, Vice President, Operational Excellence and Business Innovation, Worldwide Safety and Regulatory Operations, along with additional roles overseeing clinical data services and clinical operations strategy. Prior to Pfizer, Mr. Goodwin helped develop the Electronic Data Capture program at Bayer. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Eastern Connecticut State University, a Master’s Degree from Southern Connecticut State University and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University.