Michael is an adept leader, critical strategist and ambitious executive who is here to drive Pro-ficiency’s strategic objectives and fuel growth. With his extensive experience in startups, turnarounds and Fortune 100 companies, Michael naturally cultivates world-class management teams, resulting in smarter, faster, and more effective organizations.
While Michael currently hails from Colorado, a piece of his heart will always be in Kansas with his alma mater, the University of Kansas Jayhawks.
Margaret brings 25 years of life science legal and regulatory expertise to Pro-ficiency. She has had the privilege of working with some of the best scientists, driving their innovations into the marketplace. She brings this same commitment to new ideas and innovation to Pro-ficiency.
Margaret has managed several trials across the globe during her impressive career. For decades, Margaret has been committed to improving the clinical trial experience and bringing new solutions to market, safely and ethically. Among her many accomplishments, she has authored books and articles on many legal and regulatory issues and most recently co-hosted extensive podcasts related to new products with CBD entering the commercial market.
Margaret enjoys bass fishing with her adult son on the weekends and both Margaret and her son are big Wolfpack fans. Go NC STATE!
David is an entrepreneur and technology innovator. He is known for pioneering the fields of A.I.-based medical decision-support, Training Analytics, and Virtual Patient Simulation (VPS).
David’s last company, TheraSim, launched the world’s first successful online VPS system for physicians and trained over 500,000 doctors in every country on Earth. TheraSim built the world’s largest network of computer-based clinical simulation sites in Africa in support of the USAID and the CDC’s HIV-treatment effort. TheraSim was acquired by WebMD in 2014.
Since then, he has focused his passion for technological innovation and learning systems in the field of clinical trials, helping sponsors make their studies more accurate and efficient through finding the right technology mix such as virtualization, performance management and applied behavioral sciences to produce the most effective, lasting, and engaging results for clinical trials.
David has always valued the interconnectedness of our vastly changing world, and has traveled to over 70 countries for his global health work and for cultural development outreach through music.
Murry Alper brings almost 30 years of experience in the Life Sciences industry, with experience at both major manufacturers, as well as on the agency side. Murry founded Caravel Group in 2006 after a decade in marketing and sales roles at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Genentech. He has co-founded multiple medical communications agencies and was Managing Partner of Compass Group Partners upon its purchase by QHP Capital in June of 2023. He is currently Chief Commercial Markets Officer at Pro-ficiency where he leads medical communications, marketing strategy and innovation efforts.
Murry has a passion for delivering innovative solutions specific to the strategic opportunities of each client. Strengths of experience and solutions include HCP education, Thought Leader management, and marketplace & customer insights.
Renie thrives on forming authentic connections that allow her to not only form life-long relationships, but also to understand what people need, often before they know themselves. Her innate ability to connect authentically has not only enriched her personal life with deep bonds but has also translated into powerful client relationships, fostering valuable partnerships. Additionally, Renie's leadership style inspires unwavering loyalty and commitment from her team.
Renie started her career as a Meeting Planner with Marriott and then moved on to planning events for multiple medical communication companies, before joining as a partner at Compass Group where she worked for 15 years. The company was acquired by Pro-ficiency in June of 2023, where she now works as Chief Commercial Operations Officer. Renie is responsible for the strategic direction, leadership, and overall execution of meeting and logistics planning activities, as well as broader company operations within the commercial team. She oversees a team of meeting planners and collaborates with other departments to ensure all operational processes are managed effectively, efficiently, and in compliance with industry regulations.
Renie lives in Oakland, CA with her husband and two children. She loves traveling, working out, having family dance parties, and spending time in nature.
With a passion for design and building scalable solutions that delight, Erik brings 20+ years as an engineer and digital product developer. He has nearly a decade in executive leadership positions and possesses a depth of skills ranging from strategic product positioning to tactical feature development and everything in between.
Erik spent the early part of his career working in the financial industry for commercial real estate private equity, a hedge fund, and two fin-tech startups. Most recently he led digital product and creative capital studio, Fugitive Labs, who built three products for the clinical trials industry — Trial Portals, a protocol documentation management platform; Study Recruiter, a matching algorithm between investigators and trials; and Study Ledger, an investigator payment tracking platform. With Pro-ficiency’s acquisition of these products, Erik joins Pro-ficiency to lead product development efforts that will continue to delight Pro-ficiency’s customers worldwide.
Erik lives in beautiful Bend, OR with his wife, Robin, their three kids, and a lazy dog named Boz. The family loves to ski, mountain bike, paddle board, and play in the woods.
As an idea generator and creative problem solver, Jenna exudes a commitment to go the extra mile. Her enthusiasm and attentiveness to excellence is transparent in everything she does, including her care for Pro-ficiency clients and partners.
Jenna started her career at EY and PwC in recruiting and business development until she craved the mission-based approach of non-profit work. She joined the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) and spent 16 years serving in various roles, including Business Development leader, and she successfully helped hundreds of organizations infuse competency-based education, hosted by Pro-ficiency, into their workforce initiatives. Through this work, Jenna began to notice her clients’ appreciation and praise for the incredible Pro-ficiency platform, simulations and customer service. Now, Jenna helps clients (including ACRP) realize the full potential of their partnership with Pro-ficiency.
Jenna holds a Bachelor’s degree in art from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and as a Denver resident, she enjoys skiing, hiking, and her annual family road-trips to Moab.
Brad Stefanovic is a seasoned Life Sciences professional with a wealth of experience spanning over 16 years in the domains of Clinical Trial management, clinical technology implementation, vendor management, business operations, development, and strategy. Currently holding the esteemed position of Head of Clinical Operations (Vice President) at Ocugen, a pioneering biotech company specializing in gene and cell therapies for Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, and Vaccines. Brad oversees a dedicated team of 12 professionals, poised to expand to double its size within the next 2 years.
Previously, Brad served as Vice President, Clinical Operations at Aura Biosciences, another prominent biotech firm, where he led a team of 15 individuals focused on utilizing Virus Like particles for the treatment of Ocular Oncology and Solid Tumor indications. His leadership extends to various biologics areas, including his role as Senior Director of Clinical Operations and program lead of the Clinical Team for the Injectable Biologics, Orthopedic, Pain Management, and Sports Medicine program at TissueTech Inc. (Now Bio-Tissue), a world-leading Regenerative Medicine company.
Before that, Brad assumed the role of Director of Operations and Program Management for Criterion Edge, a specialized CRO service provider, where he expertly managed a diverse team of 20 professionals. His expertise in Life Sciences is the result of his multifaceted career, which encompasses consulting, academic, non-profit, and commercial ventures, including overseeing outsourced full-service clinical trial management activities for large multinational medical companies.
Brad is widely recognized as an outstanding scientific communicator in the life sciences industry, with a proven track record of successfully leading large teams through various phases of the medical product lifecycle. His international experience is noteworthy, having relocated from Australia to the USA over 8 years ago and effectively managing multiple international clinical programs. In 2022, he earned the prestigious title of alumni of the year at his former institution, the University of the Sunshine Coast, in recognition of his exceptional foresight, strategic engagement, and innovative leadership in the Biotechnology field.
Wes brings 20+ years of progressive finance & administrative experience in a plethora of industries, including Life Sciences, Clinical Research Organizations (CRO), Software as a Service (SaaS), Manufacturing, and Construction. From co-founding a startup with a $500 investment to working for Oracle, Wes knows what it means to bootstrap, to work in a billion-dollar company, and everything in between.
Being the son of a brick mason and an executive assistant, Wes learned valuable life lessons through the example of his parents. He quickly learned the importance of having grit, a great work ethic, and perseverance. Wes has carried these traits with him in both his personal & professional life. Bringing a teacher’s heart to the table, Wes gets fulfillment out of mentoring others and challenging them to be the best version of themselves.
Wes is a life-long learner and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from North Carolina Wesleyan and an MBA from East Carolina University.
With over a decade of experience in software engineering and product development, Grant brings a wealth of real world technical experience and a lifelong love of complex problem solving to the Pro-ficiency team. His technical leadership capabilities and extensive knowledge of application architecture will allow Pro-ficiency to provide its partners with the cutting edge solutions that they need.
As a founder and CTO of Fugitive Labs, a digital product studio, Grant led a team in building multiple software platforms from the ground up across many different industries, including fintech, real estate, and pharma. He created the earliest versions of Pro-ficiency’s innovative video training and compliance platform. His professional portfolio also includes three important products that were acquired by Pro-ficiency: Trial Portals, a secure document management portal, Study Ledger, an investigator payment tool, and Study Recruiter, an investigator networking platform. Grant is very excited to be able to join the Pro-ficiency team and bring his full skill set and efforts to bear on changing the clinical trials landscape!
Grant graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Computer Science. He currently lives in Durham, NC with his wife, Pier, and their newest addition, baby Calvin. They enjoy hiking with their dog, Ollie, checking out the local brewery scene, and visiting Asheville whenever the opportunity arises.
