Syneos Health named longtime Sanofi clinical operations exec Terttu Haring, MD, as president of its clinical sites and patients team, the company said Tuesday.

Based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Haring will lead Syneos’ global clinical operations organization. As such, she will focus on delivery, quality and data integrity for customers, and ensuring a positive experience for sponsors, sites and patients. 

Haring brings about three decades of pharma and clinical research organization (CRO) experience. She spent nearly 20 years at Sanofi, holding multiple leadership roles with escalating responsibility across clinical research, trial operations/data management, and clinical innovation. 

Most recently, she served as global head of the French drugmaker’s clinical innovation office. Earlier in her research career, Haring spent roughly six years at Kendle International, a CRO acquired by INC Research, which then became Syneos Health.

“I am passionate about unlocking the potential of clinical trials for all patients – leveraging digital health, data science and site productivity enhancements for optimized operations,” Haring stated.

Michael Brooks, Syneos Health COO, said Haring’s focus on execution and quality will help build the company’s clinical trial solutions.

“We are thrilled to welcome Terttu to our organization to help us advance our operating model to more effectively execute clinical operations that meet industry, customer, partner and patient needs,” he said in a statement. “Her relentless focus on execution and quality will continue to build our patient-centered clinical trial solutions that enable sponsors to accelerate the development of treatments that impact patients’ lives.”

Haring is the latest personnel move out of Syneos this year, following the hiring of Hillary Bochniak as chief human resources officer in July as well as Michael Bonello being named chief financial officer in May.

Additionally, over the past few months, the firm elevated Jeanine O’Kane to president, Shauna Keough to president of U.S. public relations and Batisha Anson to the new role of global head, patient diversity and health equity.

Haring’s hire also comes nearly two months after Syneos Health stockholders approved the firm’s $7.1 billion sale to a consortium of private equity firms. The deal’s completion, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, is expected later this year.