Meet one of PHARMExcel’s Senior Operations Managers – what do they do, and what experience does it take to get there?
We sat down with Anshu Ahuja to find out more about his clinical experience before PHARMExcel, what his responsibilities as Senior Operations Manager are, and his thoughts on the industry.
Over 17 years of experience in clinical research
After pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, a Masters in Clinical Research and Masters in Healthcare Management, Anshu began a career as a Clinical Research Coordinator in New Delhi, India. In 2006, he became a Clinical Research Associate (CRA).
Anshu then moved to the UK, working as a CRA at PPD, progressing to Clinical Operations Manager. His responsibilities involved overseeing progress, metrics, and deliverables on cross functional global studies at country and regional level. He provided line management support primarily for CRAs whilst overseeing planning and support for business resource needs for the UK and Ireland. He has experience working across different teams on large global/multi-national studies (Phase I, II & III) with significant experience in Oncology, Immunology, Neurology, Cardiology, Respiratory & Vaccines therapeutic areas.
Achievements at PHARMExcel
Anshu’s experience has evolved from commercial studies to specialist support for academic and NHS funded research studies, a well-established client sector of PHARMExcel’s. He has enjoyed developing his professional expertise and enjoys adapting his role and responsibilities to the strategic development needs of PHARMExcel.
Throughout his time at PHARMExcel, Anshu has been impressed by the growth of the company and the introduction of digital systems which have transformed operations and streamlined processes. In the last year, PHARMExcel introduced Harvest – an electronic timesheet software, an electronic quality management system (eQMS), and a clinical trial management system (CTMS). This significant development keeps PHARMExcel at pace with the fast changing, competitive life science landscape and Anshu believes PHARMExcel is already seeing the results of being adaptive and responsive to the ever-changing needs of the industry. He also sees PHARMExcel’s ISO 9001 certification as an incredible achievement in cementing the company’s quality assurance.
Looking at the life science industry
Anshu sees the changes in the industry over the last ten years as significant, noting the improvements in efficiency, integrity, and data sharing, with COVID-19 being one of the biggest drivers of change. This continuous evolution provides plenty of opportunities to learn which Anshu considers to be one of the most exciting things about the industry. He also notes that knowing that the work you are doing will contribute towards society and public health is incredibly important, and highlights PHARMExcel’s involvement in the COVBOOST vaccine studies which was instrumental in informing the booster vaccine programme in the UK.
However, some of these changes have introduced more challenges into the industry. Anshu sees that there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the outcome of Brexit – the life science sector is still trying to determine how the new regulations will impact business delivery, especially when working with global organisations and studies. He acknowledges that the industry needs more clarity from policy makers to assist in understanding the new processes that will be put in place.
Keeping it positive
One of the questions we asked Anshu was what he likes the most about working at PHARMExcel, and here’s what he had to say.
The opportunity to learn and grow at PHARMExcel has been an incredibly positive aspect about being part of the company. Anshu feels this can be seen at both company and individual level. He feels that the staff work hard to adhere to and live by the company values – honesty and integrity, teamwork, quality, and passion.
Along with the experienced, hardworking, and friendly team, Anshu believes that PHARMExcel’s transparency makes the company special. With openness at both operational and management level, Anshu feels this level of transparency is a key factor in his appreciation of PHARMExcel and allows him to feel comfortable and confident contributing his ideas and feedback.
