John Watkinson is the new Non-Exec Chair as Innovative Trials targets significant business growth

Innovative Trials, a specialist clinical trial patient engagement, recruitment, and retention company, has today, 20th January 2025, announced John Watkinson MBE as its first-ever Non-Executive Chair.

John has more than 20 years’ business experience, including as CEO of two private-equity backed, multi-national companies, Hamleys and Jones Bootmaker. In 2008, John established his own leadership consultancy practice and since then has coached and mentored more than 100 CEOs and 200 company directors and senior managers across the UK, helping their businesses to thrive and grow sustainably and ethically. 

John currently acts as Non-Executive Chair for a number of high-performing privately-owned UK businesses, and was awarded an MBE for services to business in the 2025 New Year’s Honors list.

Kate Shaw, co-founder and CEO of Innovative Trials, said: “I am delighted that John has joined us as our first Non-Executive Chairman. We have been working with him for some months already and his knowledge and experience of designing and implementing business strategy is impressive. He has been instrumental in our business planning for this current financial year and I look forward to working closely with him as we grow Innovative Trials into a clinical trial patient recruitment and retention powerhouse for the pharmaceutical sector.”

As Chair, John will work with Shaw, fellow Innovative Trials co-founder Dave Watkins and the wider Senior Leadership Team to shape business goals, identify and implement efficiencies and ensure the continued smooth running of the organization.

John Watkinson MBE said: “Innovative Trials is constantly innovating while also striving for new standards in excellence in clinical trial patient recruitment and retention, so I am excited to come on board and work with Kate, Dave and the leadership team to support their plans to develop the business further. People around the world deserve access to life-changing medicines as quickly as possible when they need them; I believe that Innovative Trials has the potential, passion and people to significantly grow its presence in the pharmaceutical space, therefore ensuring patient access to new treatments is greatly accelerated.”

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For more information, please contact Laura Gibson at Presence Media at +44 7771 933609 or [email protected]

Notes to editors

About Innovative Trials

Innovative Trials is a prominent international company specializing in patient recruitment and retention for clinical trials. Boasting 14 years of experience, Innovative Trials provides three fundamental services in this domain:

  • 1:1 In-country Recruitment Coaching & Site Support, facilitated by in-country patient recruitment experts operating in more than 70 countries,
  • Site & Patients Educational Materials,
  • Navigator, a patient support center for referral pre-screening and retention. 

With expertise in over 400 trials, 25 therapeutic areas, and over 90 conditions, Innovative Trials has established itself as a trusted and seasoned partner for pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations (CROs) and biotechnology companies. For more information, visit www.innovativetrials.com