PCMG: About Us

About PCMG

Objectives | Our Members | Executive Committee | Main Committee

The Pharmaceutical Contract Management Group (PCMG) is a membership association that unites and connects professionals working in clinical development outsourcing, procurement, and contract management. Since its establishment in 1994, PCMG has brought together a global network of experts to collaborate on best practices, share insights, and address the challenges of outsourcing in pharmaceutical R&D.

PCMG focuses on connecting its members through specialised events such as the Annual Assembly, workshops, and interactive forums. These provide opportunities for members and non-members to learn, share, network and develop together. Regular training courses and webinars provide opportunities for individuals to develop and enhance their knowledge and skills in the ever-evolving outsourcing landscape.

Additionally, PCMG is dedicated to support the future of clinical outsourcing by offering resources, tools and information that enhance professional growth and the industry’s overall efficiency. Through its community-building initiatives, PCMG fosters collaboration and innovation, empowering its members to drive the future of clinical trial outsourcing excellence.

Our Objectives

Foster a consistent, professional approach to managing R&D outsourcing and thereby establish recognition of the role of outsourcing management in the pharmaceutical industry;
Generate standards for the management of pharmaceutical R&D outsourcing and to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas to achieve this;
Develop the skills of Pharmaceutical R&D outsourcing and contracting professionals; Forge links with professional groups within the pharmaceutical industry such as CROs, government bodies and health services in order to represent views of PCMG members; and
Hold conferences, workshops, and training courses and webinars to achieve the above.

Our Members

All our members are professionals in the industry working in or exclusively for Pharma/Biopharma companies in outsourcing, procurement and contract management roles. By joining the PCMG, members can participate in discussions and debates on outsourcing issues This is a unique forum led by members, for members, defining and sharing best practices which can and does make a real difference in their day-to-day work.

PCMG Executive Committee

Jo Osman PCMG Chair & Director

With over 25 years navigating the clinical R&D landscape, specifically rooted in R&D Clinical Outsourcing, my career has been defined by building resilient partnerships and solving complex problems. My journey is fuelled by a deep-seated passion for connecting people and identifying the “win-win” strategies essential to our global outsourcing environment. Beyond the technical, I am deeply committed to coaching the next generation of thought leaders, helping this dynamic community transform our best ideas into new benchmarks for industry excellence.

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In an industry moving at an unprecedented pace, my focus is to ensure our community isn’t merely reacting to change but actively driving it. I want to shift the conversation beyond transactional management toward a future where we leverage our shared expertise to solve global clinical outsourcing challenges, ultimately accelerating the delivery of innovative medicines to patients worldwide.
I am ready to help this brilliant network broaden its impact and lead the industry forward.

Tara Garavan PCMG Vice Chair

Pia Sauer Larsen Director & Secretary

Pia Sauer Larsen is a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in clinical research and data management. Pia’s expertise extends across various high-profile companies, where she has led and collaborated on projects to drive innovation and improve patient outcomes.

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With 15 years dedicated to negotiation and contracting within the pharma sector, Pia has honed her skills in complex outsourcing and partnership agreements. She has worked with industry leaders such as Nycomed, Genmab, LEO Pharma A/S, and Novo Nordisk A/S, gaining a robust understanding of the intricacies of pharma operations and regulatory requirements. Her ability to navigate multifaceted contractual landscapes has made her an invaluable asset in aligning company objectives with external partnerships, ultimately fostering successful collaborations that propel the industry forward.

Olena Goloborodko Director

Olena Goloborodko is a seasoned pharmaceutical lawyer and team leader with extensive experience in clinical development, regulatory compliance, and data privacy. She joined PCMG in 2012 and currently serves as its Director and Treasurer, leveraging her expertise to support clinical trials.

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Olena holds a law degree in Corporate and Tax Law from Leiden University and has extensive industry experience of almost two decades. As Legal Director at Pfizer’s clinical development team in Switzerland, she leads the team that provides strategic legal guidance on complex global projects, with a focus on Europe and LATAM. She is also a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/E) and has completed specialized training in AI governance and healthcare compliance.
She often speaks at industry events about legal trends, regulatory challenges, and the evolving role of AI in life science.

David Davies Director

Varun Grover Director & Treasurer

15+ years of industry experience in R&D clinical outsourcing, global category management, site contracts and project finance across Pharma/Biotech and CROs. During my career I’ve had the opportunity to support several large clinical programs as well as leading clinical CRO categories.

Steve Martindill Director

Thierry Escudier Director

Thierry Escudier is a senior leader in Clinical Operations with a strong focus on digital innovation and patient centricity. A PCMG member since 2004 and an independent consultant since 2021, he serves as a Strategic Leader for the Pistoia Alliance, a global non-profit dedicated to advancing innovation in life sciences and healthcare R&D.

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Thierry leads the Pistoia Alliance project on the Carbon Footprint of Clinical Trials, a collaborative effort involving 10 pharmaceutical companies and six CROs to develop a standardized approach for evaluating the environmental impact of decentralized clinical trials (DCTs).

PCMG Main Committee

Lan Bandara

Franchise Sourcing Lead, argenx

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Lan Bandara is a highly experienced R&D executive with a deep understanding of the drug discovery process from scientific research through to market approval. After gaining a PhD in molecular he worked for several years in the biotech sector managing early drug discovery programmes and external research collaborations. He started his career in clinical outsourcing initially with AstraZenca, followed by Eisai and is currently a Franchise Sourcing Lead with argenx. During this time, he has been responsible for implementing a variety of strategic global outsourcing models. Lan has also been an active member of the PCMG committee for many years supporting numerous projects.

Desiree Hammerstad

Associate Director, Global Clinical Outsourcing, Ascendis Pharma

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Désirée Hammerstad is a Clinical Outsourcing Specialist with over 25 years of experience in negotiations and contracting within the pharmaceutical industry. Holding a Master of Science in Analytical Chemistry, Désirée brings a strong scientific foundation to strategic outsourcing decisions across the clinical development lifecycle.
Throughout a distinguished career, Désirée has led and supported clinical trial outsourcing activities across big pharmaceutical companies, mid-size pharma organizations, and a broad range of biotechnology companies—from early-stage biotechs to large, global enterprises. This extensive cross-sector experience provides a comprehensive understanding of diverse operating models, vendor strategies, and partnership structures.
Désirée is recognized for deep expertise in clinical trial outsourcing, contract negotiation, and supplier relationship management, contributing to the successful execution of complex clinical programs in highly regulated environments.

Dermot Kelly

Director Clinical Category Management, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

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Dermot is Director of Global Procurement at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and leads the CRO category. In this position Dermot is responsible for the management and oversight of all commercial, business relationship and contractual aspects of the CRO partnerships. Dermot started his career working at a CRO in data management before moving to business development and ultimately switching to R&D procurement within pharma. He has worked in the industry for over 25 years across many companies including ICON, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Novartis and Regeneron gaining valuable insights on the diverse approaches that suit specific organisational requirements. Dermot has managed most categories across clinical development including clinical, biometrics, IRT and recruitment & retention. Dermot is particularly interested in the changing nature of clinical trial delivery to ensure more patients can benefit from improved treatments.

Nicolas Schneider

Senior Director Global Vendor Management, ITM Isotopen Technologien München AG

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Contribute to pre-clinical and 14 years to clinical research. I have worked for CRO, Biotech and Big Pharma. My career started in the lab. In this context, I was collaborating with Biotech companies to test their drugs in a mouse model I have developed. Link to my nature oncogene paper: A novel conditional NPM-ALK-driven model of CD30+ T-cell lymphoma mediated by a translational stop cassette | Oncogene (nature.com)
The collaboration with the Biotech companies made me curious, so I went into clinical research.
I have been in the Clinical Operational area ever since, mainly focused on oncology. I’ve spent the last few years focusing on vendor relations and partnerships in clinical trials.
PCMG member for 1.5 years to date.

Inga Nachreiner

Senior Clinical Sourcing Manager, Global Sourcing and Alliance Management, argenx

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Inga Nachreiner holds a Diploma in Bioinformatics and a PhD in Molecular Biology and Applied Sciences. She has been actively working in the Pharmaceutical Industry as well as with PCMG for nearly two decades. Throughout her career, she has held several roles within the sourcing market. Starting as an Outsourcing & Contract Manager working with the decentralized sourcing approach, Inga progressed to a Strategic Sourcing Manager working with different end-2-end sourcing models. As an Alliance Manager she was leading several strategic relationships with important vendors. Becoming a Procurement Manager brought her closer to various sourcing tools and databases accelerating the efficiency in the sourcing market without loosing the close connection to clinical development and science.

Dave Webber

Independent Consultant, DW Partnerships Ltd

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Dave has spent more than 30 years in the industry working for both Sponsors and CROs in roles spanning clinical operations, vendor compliance, outsourcing and business development. Dave is a long-standing member of the PCMG, a past Chairperson and recipient of the PCMG Lifetime achievement award. Dave is particularly interested in fostering more collaborative partnerships between sponsors and service providers.