Fortrea, a leading global contract research organization (CRO), announced that Fortrea’s Board of Directors named Anshul Thakral as Fortrea’s CEO, effective August 4, 2025. He was also appointed to serve as a director on the Company’s Board, effective as of that date. Thakral succeeds Interim CEO, Peter M. Neupert, who will remain as chairman of the board.
Thakral brings more than 20 years of experience in life sciences as an executive and commercial leader, advisor and entrepreneur. He will focus on executing the Company’s transformation plan and sharpening Fortrea’s focus on profitable growth. Further, he will oversee additional value creation efforts for customers, employees and shareholders.
“Anshul is an exceptional leader with extensive life sciences experience, deep familiarity with the CRO industry, a commitment to innovation and a proven record of building companies and growing revenue,” said Neupert. “His strong business development capabilities, commercial insights and relentless focus on customer engagement make him ideally suited to lead Fortrea. Further, he also shares the Company’s commitment to modernizing the clinical trials process and combining the best talent, science and technology to effectively and efficiently respond to changing customer and patient needs. We are delighted to welcome Anshul to Fortrea as we seek to capitalize on the significant growth opportunities we see ahead and meet our customers’ needs.”
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“Since its founding, the Fortrea team has earned a strong reputation for leading with science and creating a differentiated customer experience,” said Thakral. “I share the team’s passion for customers and the patients they serve, and I’m honored to take the reins at this pivotal moment. It is an exciting opportunity to lead the organization as it continues to deliver flexible and agile drug development solutions that accelerate the delivery of life-changing treatments to patients. I’m confident this company can execute on its patient and customer-focused mission while delivering profitable growth, which ultimately delivers value for shareholders.”
About Anshul Thakral
Thakral joins Fortrea from Launch Therapeutics, a company he co-founded at which he served as CEO. Previously, he held several executive leadership roles at PPD, a leading CRO, including chief commercial officer and executive vice president of Peri- and Post-Approval Services. He led PPD Biotech, which contributed to PPD’s growth. Prior to PPD, Thakral ran the global life sciences business unit at Gerson Lehrman Group and served as an Associate Principal at McKinsey & Company in the healthcare practice. He currently serves on the board of directors of TriNetX, Saama Technologies and Orsini Specialty Pharmacy. He earned his B.S. and M.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Source: Globenewswire