San Diego-based CRO SynteractHCR has hired Etienne Drouet as vice president, strategic development. This is a new position created to augment the depth of the company’s oncology and complex trial expertise.

Drouet has more than 20 years of experience in executive leadership, program and project management, clinical trial management and R&D within the contract research and biopharmaceutical industries. At SynteractHCR he will join the senior management team, helping to develop company strategy and business models. His primary objective will be to ensure excellence in operational delivery to clients. He will report directly to CEO Wendel Barr.

“Since we work with smaller and mid-sized companies on complex global trials, integrating his extensive drug development knowledge is key to further improving both the strategic thinking and executional support of our clients’ request,” said Barr.

Drouet was executive director, global oncology at Premier Research. Previously, he was a program manager and senior project manager at Icon, a senior CRA at the Breast Cancer International Research Group and a research scientist with Sanofi Aventis. Drouet has notable therapeutic experience in solid tumor and hematological cancers as well as CNS.