Certara Appoints Dr. Adrian McKemey as President of Drug Development Solutions

Rhea-AI Summary

Certara (NASDAQ: CERT) has appointed Dr. Adrian McKemey as President of Drug Development Solutions, effective March 3rd, 2025. McKemey, who previously served as head of Enterprise Transformation at IQVIA and Senior VP of R&D Strategy Solutions at Quintiles, brings over 25 years of experience in research and development.

The appointment is part of a planned leadership transition, with Patrick Smith, PharmD, moving to the role of Senior Vice President of Translational Sciences. McKemey holds a BSc and PhD in High Energy Nuclear Particle Physics from the University of London, and previously worked as a Principal at Boston Consulting Group's Life Sciences practice.

The company aims to leverage McKemey's expertise to accelerate growth in its biosimulation and scientific services for life sciences clients globally, focusing on improving drug development processes and portfolio decision-making through in silico models.

Positive

• Strategic hire with 25+ years of R&D experience
• Planned leadership transition maintaining continuity
• Expansion of scientific services and biosimulation capabilities

Negative

• None.

McKemey joins Certara to accelerate growth of its strategic drug development solutions

RADNOR, Pa., March 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Certara, Inc. (Nasdaq: CERT), a global leader in model-informed drug development, today announced the appointment of Adrian McKemey, Ph.D. as President of Drug Development Solutions, effective March 3rd, 2025. In this role, McKemey will lead Certara's global team of drug development scientists.

Adrian joins Certara after serving as head of Enterprise Transformation at IQVIA and Senior Vice President and Head of the R&D Strategy Solutions at Quintiles. He has over 25 years of experience in research and development roles where he focused on business transformation, portfolio management and R&D strategies. Before IQVIA, he was a Principal with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) working in the Life Sciences practice in New York. He holds a BSc (First Class) and a PhD in High Energy Nuclear Particle Physics from the University of London.

The change is part of a planned leadership transition. Patrick Smith, PharmD. will continue to support Certara’s growth in science and innovation as Senior Vice President of Translational Sciences. Patrick and his leadership team successfully led and integrated the Certara services team building a unified offering of comprehensive scientific services for life sciences clients across the globe.

“Adrian brings a mission-driven approach to improving drug development,” said William Feehery, Ph.D., Certara’s CEO. “His leadership will build upon recent accomplishments helping Certara further scale its biosimulation and scientific services to support the next generation of life-changing therapies.”

“Certara’s leadership in biosimulation is key to de-risking the thorny issues I have seen the industry tackle for decades in clinical development. The rising adoption of in silico models into portfolio decision making can improve the probability of success at the asset and aggregate portfolio level,” said Adrian McKemey. “This role and the Certara portfolio present an ideal opportunity for me to positively impact the industry and accelerate medicines to patients.”

About Certara
Certara accelerates medicines using biosimulation software, technology, and services to transform traditional drug discovery and development. Its clients include more than 2,400 biopharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and regulatory agencies across 66 countries. Learn more at certara.com.

Certara Contact:
Sheila Rocchio
sheila.rocchio@certara.com

Media Contact:
Alyssa Horowitz
certara@pancomm.com

FAQ

When will Dr. Adrian McKemey start as President of Drug Development Solutions at Certara (CERT)?

Dr. McKemey started his role at Certara (CERT) on March 3rd, 2025.

What is Dr. Adrian McKemey's professional background before joining Certara (CERT)?

He was head of Enterprise Transformation at IQVIA, Senior VP of R&D Strategy Solutions at Quintiles, and Principal at Boston Consulting Group's Life Sciences practice, with 25+ years in R&D.

What will happen to Patrick Smith's role at Certara (CERT) following McKemey's appointment?

Patrick Smith will transition to Senior Vice President of Translational Sciences, continuing to support Certara's growth in science and innovation.

What are the main objectives for Dr. McKemey's role at Certara (CERT)?

He will lead Certara's global drug development scientists team, focusing on scaling biosimulation and scientific services to support new therapy development.