Meet the maker: EPM talks to Ashley Parish
In our inaugural Q&A of our new ‘Meet the maker’ series, EPM gets to know Ashley Parish, who has recently been appointed vice president, strategic alliances of teckro — a global life sciences mobile technology company that assists pharmaceutical and biotech organisations improve clinical research.
1. Could you briefly describe yourself?
I am a Nashville, Tennessee native who enjoys my family, friends and especially the outdoors. When not travelling, I enjoy working out, hiking in the park near my home and trying new restaurants. In my youth, I was a nationally competitive swimmer, so trying to work that back in my life when not travelling the globe. I enjoy the competitive side of things and the adrenaline. Some people say I am type-A personality, but I think I am more of a B+.
2. Please describe your average day in five words.
Currently living my dream career
3. At what point did you decide to be involved in the pharma market?
In 1998. Back then, I did not know the CRO industry existed, but I took a personality test of all things that said my aptitude was in clinical research. I thought that meant working in a clinical lab, when all I really wanted to be was a pharma sales rep. I researched industries around me that indicated clinical research and found that ICON was down the road from where I lived in Nashville. I started my career there as a clinical research associate (monitor), worked my way up, became a corporate trainer and then business development.
4. What has been your biggest achievement?
Surviving cancer. Until you have a life changing moment or health issue, you realise how valuable your health is and how important it is to truly take care of yourself first. Being in the industry and seeing first-hand how all biopharma are trying to create cures brought things full circle back to me as an actual patient. This is my greatest achievement, and I am very thankful for those who contributed to my cure.
5. What would you say is your worst trait?
Being impatient, but I am working on that.
6. What do you love about your job?
The people and the faith they have in me to be a contributor to our growth. It is rewarding to work for a company that values the people and their lives first, but also have an incredible technology that is fun to show our customers and watch their eyes light up when they see how this can truly help those conducting clinical trials. Of course, I truly enjoy my customers, as I have been meeting with many of them for over 15 years, so we have become friends.
7. If anything, what would you change about your job?
I wouldn’t even call this a job — to me, this is my career, and for the first time in my career, I run to work. The only thing I would change is that I wish all those companies I have not yet spoken with could see how this one simple change could affect the daily lives of so many people conducting trials.
8. If you weren’t in the pharma industry what job would you like to do?
Interior design and architecture. As a side hobby, when I have free time, I am always tinkering with my home. I’m left handed, so this is the artistic side of me that I truly enjoy.
9. What challenges do you foresee being important over the next 10 years?
When you speak to Biopharma companies today, there are a lot of technologies being pitched to them on a daily basis. Many are creating these ‘Innovation Units’, and the issues I am hearing is that none of these technologies are currently talking to one another, and it adds another layer or layers to the already complex world we live in. That linkage of the technologies and flexibility of systems will be key, as well as making them simpler for the actual user. The technologies have to speed things up, not slow things down.
10. In your opinion, what will offer the biggest opportunities in the future?
It’s an exciting time to be in our industry and see the evolution of technologies being applied now. In my opinion, automation of activities in clinical trials that can be performed remotely through technology is our biggest opportunity. As with the teckro digital platform, these technologies cannot be disruptive to the process, but must enhance productivity and be flexible. With the wearables, ingestible micro-monitors, trials being monitored remotely 24/7, transdermals, etc., early adoption of these technologies by biopharma, CROs and Investigator sites will be key to stay ahead. Many activities currently being conducted in the clinical trial space have not changed much since the 80s, especially at the site and study team levels. Bringing our industry in to the 21st century is critical to bring medicines to patients faster while also being safe.