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ACDM Profiles

ACDM Profiles

Robert King

ACDM Role: Board Member & Secretary

Employed role: Executive Director, Functional Service Partnership Solutions, PPD

Get to know Robert

Background

I’m an Executive Director responsible for PPD’s Functional Service Partnership Solutions. Providing global account leadership and strategic direction for sponsor-specific customized solutions supporting clinical development. I’m also a coach as well as leader who is passionate about bringing individuals with different skills sets to create high functioning teams while providing opportunities for them to case study their skills, learn new ones, to fulfil their potential and achieve their personal goals. I’ve been at PPD since 2012 and have over 29 years of experience, working in both large and small biopharma companies, developing and managing large national and global teams in Data Management, Biostatistics, Programming, and clinical development support functions. In all these roles I’ve been a key driver in developing and implementing corporate strategic direction across clinical development and eClinical technologies as well as gathering significant experience in the FSP marketplace.

What do you do to relax / what are your hobbies?

I like to be reasonably fit so do triathlons (running, cycling, and swimming), along with spending time in my garden and reading paper “real” books.

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

In my office I’ve a small picture with the words “Work precedes success in every place in life but in the dictionary” which really resonates with me, but it took me until I was in my very late teens before I realised this.

What’s your favourite place of all the places you’ve travelled and why?

I’m a bit of a traveller and have a need to see and experience new places. I’ve no one single favourite place having visited over 60 countries to date, but locations that I have an emotional tie to are: Sydney (Australia), Paris (France), Salamanca (Spain) and South Africa. My most amazing experience was very briefly looking into the eyes of a Mountain Gorilla Silverback in Uganda and feeling humbled and privileged to be in the presence of such a magnificent animal along with his family.

If you could learn one new skill today, what would it be?

I need to improve my culinary skills and move from cooking roast dinners and curries to making the delicious looking recipes in the numerous cookbooks from around the world my wife and I have collected over the years.

Who was your role model as a child and why?

My best friend’s father, through those difficult teenage years, because he helped me understand those valuable lessons my father was trying to get across to me.  

What always makes you laugh?

Corny jokes. “Why did the orange stop running, because it ran out of juice”. How can you not laugh at that!!!

If there were 25 hours in a day, how would you spend the extra hour?

With my wife and kids.