Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Dr Clare Grace of Parexel On The 5 Leadership Lessons She Learned From Her Experience

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

… I like to share the advice that my father gave me, which is that you can achieve anything in life if you are prepared, work smart enough and stay true to your passion. When your passion aligns with the objectives and direction of the organization you work for, then you will do your best work and excel. I also think it is important to dream big because you never know what you can achieve with determination and resilience.

As a part of my series about “Lessons From Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Clare Grace.

As Chief Patient Officer for Parexel, Dr. Grace leads Parexel’s global patient advocacy and site efforts, including patient engagement strategies and efforts to enhance clinical trial diversity as well as new, innovative approaches to help teams and customers work more effectively with investigative sites. Most recently she served as Vice President, Site & Patient Access at Syneos Health, formerly INC Research, where she oversaw all departments responsible for patient engagement, feasibility, site identification, strategic site relations and investigator payments. Her experience also includes senior-level patient and site-focused leadership roles with PPD, Astra Zeneca and Antisoma.

With more than 20 years of experience in the CRO and biopharmaceutical industries, Dr. Grace was recognized in 2018 by PharmaVoice as one of the top 100 most inspirational leaders in the pharmaceutical industry. She earned a doctorate in Molecular Oncology from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology and a bachelor’s degree in applied biochemistry from Liverpool John Moores University, both in England. Dr. Grace is active in several global and national-level advisory groups, including the Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) and the SCRS Leadership Council.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

After completing my PH.D., I realized academic research wasn’t for me. It was too far-removed from patients and their outcomes, which is a huge motivator for me. As a CRA in oncology, I remember reading the notes from a patient who was participating in a study, and I thought that could be me or someone I love. I realized then the importance of clinical studies and the need for new therapies for patients who cannot wait. I’ve never looked back or been happier in the choice that I made to devote myself to the field of clinical research.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?

I’m deeply honored and humbled to be the first Chief Patient Officer at Parexel and the first for a top-tier clinical research organization (CRO). I think this demonstrates Parexel’s commitment to elevate the patient perspective so that their unique needs can be used to shape the conduct of future clinical studies. Also, I’m amazed by the response that I’ve received — from clients, sites, and Parexel colleagues — inspired by what our organization is doing to put the patient first. People perceive it as a huge step forward and shows that Parexel is very intentional about what we’re doing for patients.

One recent project I am particularly proud of is our “Discussions on Diversity” research report, which identifies critical barriers to achieving diversity in clinical research while offering specific solutions to help ensure more equitable access for patients.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Earlier in my career, I sent an email to a global team of approximately 200 people. I intended to write “Sorry for any inconvenience.” Instead, spell check changed the message to “Sorry for any incontinence.” It was a small, but funny reminder, of the importance of proof reading and not fully trusting spell-check to correct your mistakes.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

We have a core value at Parexel, “Patients-First.” It is our mission that we all live and breathe every day, and the guiding principle that informs our work. The fact that Parexel saw the need to have a devoted Chief Patient Officer is evidence of that commitment. My role is to be an advocate for patients — and for all those who are part of the patient journey including caregivers, healthcare practitioners, advocacy groups, and investigators.

Also, Parexel has an incredibly supportive culture. We can all take advantage of flexible work hours and schedules, and no one questions your commitment to your work in doing so. Parexel is an organization that understands we’re people first and respects our individual needs. That’s not something you see at every organization, but at Parexel, it’s paramount to our culture.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

One of the exciting projects that we continue to work on is finding ways to address the barriers of inclusion in clinical trials. We’re in the business of developing drugs that work for everyone, and we can only do that by ensuring that we’re including everyone. As we make clinical research more accessible, we can work faster, reach more diverse patient populations, and ultimately bring therapies to patients in need sooner.

Also, listening to the patient voice is critical. One way we do that at Parexel is through our Patient Advisory Councils. With my colleagues, we regularly collaborate with and seek input from patients and caregivers so we can better understand the patient journey, challenges to participate in a clinical trial, and ways we can best alleviate those barriers. By listening to a diverse range of voices from varying backgrounds, we can develop better solutions, and ultimately, better outcomes.

Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Are you currently satisfied with the status quo regarding women in STEM? What specific changes do you think are needed to change the status quo?

In short, no, I’m not happy with the status quo. We’ve certainly seen some exciting progress in recent years and there are pockets of STEM careers where women are highly valued, like in clinical research. But the reality is women are still significantly underrepresented — or worse, non-existent — in many STEM fields. The gender gaps are particularly high in some of the fastest-growing and highest-paid jobs, like computer science and engineering.

There are a variety of reasons for the low numbers of women in STEM and some of it may unfortunately be attributable to long held biases. We need to do a better job of cultivating interest in science and technology for young girls early in their education and we need more mentorships and support for women in STEM fields to help them advance in their career. I’m grateful to participate as a STEM ambassador in my community where I speak with school-aged children about pursuing careers in STEM.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women in STEM or Tech that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts? What would you suggest to address this?

There are too many stereotypes that exist in the workplace for women, especially those in STEM fields. Often, these misperceptions begin in school where girls are not encouraged to pursue STEM or don’t believe that STEM can be a career for them. We also can’t ignore that when women start families, the lack of parental leave policies in some regions impact women far more than men. Personally, working from home at a global company has allowed me to balance my life and has been a huge enabler of my professional development.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a woman in STEM or Tech. Can you explain what you mean?

There is a myth that women think STEM careers are dull and boring or that these opportunities lack qualities like empathy, which can be a career motivator for some women. However, healthcare, life sciences, and medicine are exciting and dynamic sectors that enable you to exercise empathy. Often, this perspective isn’t shared with women when they are deciding their career paths.

What are your “5 Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Experience as a Woman in STEM or Tech” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

I have “10 Commandments” that I live by and share with other women:

1. Treat others how you wish to be treated.
2. You can achieve anything if you work smart enough. Believe in yourself, work smarter, and you can achieve it.
3. Get the right people on the bus. As a leader, it is critical to have people who are aligned to your culture and perspective.
4. You are the company, you set the values, the culture and the success so make it one you are proud of
5. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. Always make sure you take others with you and bring them in.
6. Set your own goals and path to success. Don’t measure yourself against others but do what is good for you.
7. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Take time to slow down and think about what you’re doing.
8. Leadership is a job within itself, not a job you do on the side. It takes time, effort, and energy. Don’t reduce it to something that isn’t important.
9. Find your passion. If it doesn’t make you happy, don’t do it.
10. Balance your success. No one wishes that they spent more time at work. Find your right balance.

What advice would you give to other women leaders to help their team to thrive?

I like to share the advice that my father gave me, which is that you can achieve anything in life if you are prepared, work smart enough and stay true to your passion. When your passion aligns with the objectives and direction of the organization you work for, then you will do your best work and excel. I also think it is important to dream big because you never know what you can achieve with determination and resilience.

What advice would you give to other women leaders about the best way to manage a large team?

As managers we have a responsibility to contribute to others’ personal growth and journey. My advice is to think about those overarching goals you are trying to achieve for your organization and to set the right collaborative atmosphere. Everyone brings a different value to the team. By fostering a culture that is open and honest and respects each person’s strengths, you’re able to build a team that is more than the sum of its parts and everyone feels heard and valued. In addition, I find that I learn as much from my mentees as I hope they learn from me. So, my other piece of advice is to be a good listener and find ways to inspire your team to make them stronger and more connected.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

There are so many people who have been influential along my career journey. First, my mother always said “Be independent. Earn your own money. Live your own life”. It spoke to her belief that as women we should all be independent and make choices that are best for us. Also, most recently, our Chief Financial Officer, Greg Rush, has been incredibly supportive of the patients first value at Parexel. He has also helped me understand the importance of clearly articulating goals to the organization. From him I have learned the importance of not only communicating your goals, but also how you came to develop those goals and how they can be achieved.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

While the pandemic has been helpful in bringing broad awareness of and involvement in clinical research, most people still have not made the connection that we all have to get involved in clinical research if we want a drug that works best for us. Only a person with diabetes can test a new drug for that condition, for example. So, if we want more therapies and solutions for our health conditions we need to get involved and help develop them. Clinical research is a huge opportunity to impact thousands of people and change lives on a greater scale so I would love to inspire a movement that drive greater awareness of the benefits of participating in clinical research

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

One of my mentors, Jean Chitwood, gave me the advice, “We’re not paid for how fast we can type. We’re paid to use our minds. We’re paid to think.” For me, this is a reminder to block time to be intentional. Of course, day-to-day, this can be difficult, but I always try to remember to stop and think about how things can be done differently.

We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them :-)

Queen Elizabeth II. She has been in a unique leadership position for more than 60 years and has been a world leader through so many global challenges, crises, and changes. I would be interested in her message to women in leadership and how she has succeeded in this role which is limited in power yet hugely influential.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.