WCG today announced the appointment of two new independent members to its Board of Directors: Dr. Kavita Patel, a non-resident fellow with the Brookings Institution and a practicing physician, and Pascale Witz, a former senior pharmaceutical executive who has broad corporate board experience.

"These appointments provide important new perspectives to our Board as the company continues to write the next exciting chapter of our evolution," said WCG Chairman and CEO Donald A. Deieso, Ph.D. "We remain committed to improving drug development by delivering improvements in clinical trial processes while continuing our core mission of protecting human trial participants. Dr. Patel and Ms. Witz will add their invaluable experience and judgment at an extraordinary moment of change in the life sciences industry, and we are honored to have their voices guide our future."

At Brookings, Dr. Patel provides policy guidance on major health care issues, including access, cost and quality, while also practicing internal medicine. Dr. Patel previously served as the Director of Policy under President Barack Obama, and Deputy Staff Director for Health under Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. She is a former Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar.

"Dr. Patel's national healthcare policy expertise will bring an important new dimension to our strategic direction as we seek to improve drug development by closing the operational gaps between clinical research and clinical care," Dr. Deieso said. Dr. Patel earned her medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center and an M.S. in public health from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Ms. Witz has more than three decades of experience in the healthcare industry, and currently serves as a director on the Board of Fresenius Medical Care, Horizon Therapeutics, Perkin Elmer, and several other life sciences companies. Ms. Witz previously served as executive vice president at Sanofi, and before that was President and CEO of GE Healthcare Pharmaceutical Diagnostics.

"Ms. Witz's broad cross-functional and global experience in the biopharmaceutical industry will help WCG and its clients successfully navigate the political and financial challenges facing the life sciences industry," Dr. Deieso added.

Ms. Witz earned an M.Sc. in Biochemistry from INSA Lyon, in France, and an M.B.A. from INSEAD, France.

About WCG
WCG is the world's leading provider of solutions that measurably improve the quality and efficiency of clinical research. Comprised of two divisions, the industry's first central IRB – WCG IRB – and first clinical services organization, WCG enables biopharmaceutical companies, CROs, and institutions to advance the delivery of new treatments and therapies to patients, while maintaining the highest standards of human participant protection. For more information, please visit www.wcgirb.com, www.wcgclinical.com or follow us on Twitter @WCGClinical or LinkedIn.