mdgroup appoints LaQuinta Jernigan as Chief Operating Officer

Executive leadership appointment to drive seamless client experiences in patient- servicing and digitally enabled clinical trials

BRACKNELL, England, June 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- mdgroup, the leading global digital and patient-health servicing company pioneering a patient-first approach to clinical research, has appointed LaQuinta Jernigan as Chief Operating Officer.

LaQuinta's promotion from Executive Vice President for the Americas to COO for the group comes following a period of rapid growth and strategic innovation within mdgroup's ecosystem of clinical trial patient-servicing solutions, generating a 300% growth over the past four years, with a team based in almost every continent around the world.

As Chief Operating Officer for mdgroup, LaQuinta will leverage her global expertise in building sustainable, strong commercial relationships to drive seamless customer experience and operational optimization. In a period of transformation across the industry, with the convergence of decentralization and clinical technologies, helping clients navigate the potential across the health ecosystem will be critical to delivering mdgroup's longer term vision for scaled-up business transformation and growth.

"We are delighted to announce LaQuinta's promotion to the position of Chief Operating Officer for the whole of mdgroup," says Tarquin Scadding-Hunt, CEO of mdgroup. "She has been with the company since 2015 and has already helped to significantly develop and grow our business in North America. Her passion for ensuring patients get the very best experience extends to working tirelessly to champion diversity to ensure access to clinical trials is not just reserved for certain demographics.

"This C-Suite role also underscores mdgroup's culture for recognising and rewarding enterprising women within our organisation, as we continue to grow. Like many others in mdgroup, LaQuinta's tenure in the company has seen her take on a number of roles from Business Development Director, Global Director-Business Development, Executive Vice President, Americas, to Chief Operating Officer. We pride ourselves on the careers that have been fostered at mdgroup."

LaQuinta says: "I am delighted to take up the new challenge and look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues at mdgroup.

"I was driven to find a career in the field of medicine that would help others, having grown up with a sister with a rare disease who needed regular hospital care. This role combines the best of my skills to work with pharma companies to develop strategies that actually change the way they recruit and enrol for clinical trials.

"I hope to truly enable diverse communities to access services and solutions they may not have reached otherwise, by removing the obstacles that could prevent them from taking part, from logistics to costs."

In her quest to make clinical research more transparent, LaQuinta launched the mdtalk podcast earlier this year to help build authenticity and trust in the sector; she is on the executive board of the Triangle British American Business Council and is a member of the North Carolina Biosciences Organization's diversity committee, and MedTech Color, an organisation which aims to help build a community of leaders of color in the medical device industry to discover why cardiovascular health is not being addressed in a meaningful way within communities of color.

About mdgroup

mdgroup are on a mission to deliver remarkable technologies and experiences for patients taking part in site-based and decentralised clinical trials. They support all sizes of pharma and biotech to attract, engage, maintain and support patient participation in healthcare research around the world, all underpinned by our latest innovations in healthcare technologies. Let's make your next study remarkable. Contact us now to discuss how. Find out more at mdgroup.com