DURHAM, N.C., Nov. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Velocity Clinical Research, the leading fully integrated clinical site organization, announces the appointment of Renata Berardocco as Executive Vice President and Managing Director for the Latin America (LATAM) region. Renata has nearly two decades of experience in senior leadership roles and joins from Fortrea, where she led Clinical Operations Delivery and Clinical Projects.
LATAM represents 10% of the world’s clinical research sites and is a critical focus for Velocity’s expansion strategy, which has already delivered accelerated growth in Europe. In just 24 months, Velocity has successfully scaled to 17 European sites across three countries; it now employs a team of 150 in the region, accounting for 10% of Velocity’s workforce. Renata’s appointment signals Velocity’s ambition to further extend its global network. As LATAM MD, she will spearhead the identification, acquisition, and operations of new regional sites.
Paul Evans, Velocity’s President and Chief Executive, commented on the appointment: “Having established traction in Europe, LATAM is a natural next step for our growth-through-acquisition strategy. Renata brings a wealth of experience in building and managing multisite networks and shares our vision for the region. Renata will drive this next stage of Velocity’s growth, focusing primarily on Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico, which account for roughly 70% of the LATAM population.”
Renata’s appointment brings a valuable perspective and deep expertise. During her time at Novartis, she gained experience in a variety of areas, including governmental sales. She played a leading role in establishing a Brazilian presence for Oncopartners and set up the Brazilian clinical research department for Stiefel, which GSK later acquired. Most recently, she drove the expansion of Covance’s (now Fortrea) LATAM operations, where the local team grew from 300 personnel to 800.
Renata Berardocco, LATAM Executive Vice President and Managing Director, said: “I understand all too well the clinical trial process and how critical patient recruitment is. Velocity’s fast growth and commitment to technology make it a formidable force in clinical research. Multisite networks offer key benefits, from faster patient enrollment and consistent data collection to enhanced quality control and reduced variability—ultimately improving data security, trial efficiency, and patient outcomes.
“I believe patient recruitment is the key to realizing these benefits, and I know from experience that Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina, in particular, have large patient populations and access to exceptional Principal Investigators. I look forward to bringing the Velocity model to LATAM and conversely, bringing the advantages of the LATAM region to Velocity to deliver meaningful improvements to our patients, Sponsors, and CROs globally.”
Velocity has experienced rapid growth over the past two years, becoming one of Europe’s largest clinical trial site organizations and the largest in the United States. Today, the company has over 90 sites globally and employs 1,500 people worldwide, including 220 Principal Investigators.
Notes to Editors
About Velocity Clinical Research
Velocity is the leading integrated site organization for clinical trials. With 90 sites and more than 220 investigators, Velocity partners with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to research new drugs, medical devices, diagnostics, and combination products that could improve human health and wellbeing. Velocity offers unified research site solutions to efficiently provide the right patients, investigators, and research staff for clinical trials across the U.S. and Europe.
The company also operates a technology hub in India, where it is unlocking a new era in clinical research by developing innovative systems to leverage expansive site, patient, and historical performance data. To learn more about how Velocity delivers high-quality data, exemplary patient care, and unprecedented efficiency for clinical trials at any scale, visit VelocityClinical.com.
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