The contract research organization (CRO) Syneos Health has promoted Michelle Keefe to be its CEO and a member of its board.
Keefe was previously the president, medical affairs and commercial solutions at Morrisville, North Carolina-based Syneos.
The company’s departing CEO, Alistair Macdonald, is retiring after working at the company for two decades.
Macdonald will serve as an advisor to the company until March 2023.
Michelle Keefe
Keefe has more than three decades of experience working in the life sciences, including two decades at Pfizer.
“I am incredibly honored to take on this role and lead our talented colleagues around the globe,” Keefe wrote in a LinkedIn post. “I look forward to leveraging my decades of life sciences industry experience to help usher Syneos Health into its next chapter as a data- and insights-driven organization, addressing market opportunities with a product development mindset.”
In addition, Syneos has named Michael Brooks as its newly created chief operating officer role. Brooks was previously the company’s chief development officer and global head of clinical development solutions.
Syneos shares ticked up 4.18% to $73.41 in mid-day trading.