Former etrials chief operating officer Peter S. Benton is the newly named president of Phoenix Data Systems (PDS), the eClinical division of Newtown, Pa.-based CRO Bio-Imaging Technologies. Benton, whose position at etrials was eliminated in April, will succeed Dr. William Claypool, who is leaving PDS to start a pharmaceutical development consulting company. Bio-Imaging acquired PDS earlier this year.

Other personnel news from the clinical trial industry:

Cincinnati, Ohio-based CRO Kendle named Michael Lawson director, investor relations, responsible for expanding the company’s investor relations program to strengthen shareholder and analyst relations and to grow the company’s shareholder base. Lawson was most recently vice president of investor relations for Associated Estates Cleveland.

San Ramon, Calif.-based clinical software company Nextrials has added new regional directors of business development to its sales force in an effort to more quickly and easily respond to new and existing customers around the country. Scott Steward, based in Texas, joins Nextrials from ePharmaSolutions, where he was a director of business development. Virginia (Giga) Smith, based in North Carolina, worked for many years as a project manager, drug safety coordinator and business development director within the pharmaceutical industry and was formerly a senior coordinator for access to patients at Quintiles. Denise Bowen in New Jersey was previously a senior project manager at Covance, where she was responsible for cross-unit coordination of services and for the successful conclusion of multiple studies across many therapeutic areas. Alan Arroyo in California was formerly the associate director of clinical operations at Novacea, with responsibility for the company’s DN-101 global drug development program.