Episode 17: Chasing Curiosity - Margaret Keegan, CEO at Precision for Medicine

In this lively, refreshingly candid conversation, Margaret Keegan, CEO of Precision Medicine Group, sits down with Patty as she approaches her first anniversary at the helm. A mathematician by training whose first job put her inside the Bank of England’s gold vault, Margaret quickly realized she wanted more meaningful work, and a career path that was anything but a straight line took her through some of the industry’s largest CROs, a private equity firm, and into the CEO seat. 

You’ll hear Margaret and Patty explore how the CRO industry has evolved over the decades, why the renewed interest in FSP models deserves a closer look, and what it will take for technology to deliver on its promise across the full clinical trial ecosystem. They also dig into regulation as both barrier and catalyst, the value of in-person connection for young professionals, and the role relationships play in a fulfilling career. This episode explores how fresh, first-principles thinking can help an industry built on tradition find new ways forward. 

What you’ll hear about 

• How has the CRO industry evolved since its earliest days? 

• Why is the FSP model making a comeback, and should it? 

• Why hasn’t technology transformed clinical trials across the entire process? 

• Are regulations holding back innovation, or just providing a convenient excuse? 

• What really differentiates one CRO from another in today’s market? 

• How can young professionals build strong careers in a remote-first world? 

This episode is intended for clinical operations and outsourcing leaders, offering a clear perspective on choosing the right CRO partnership model and rethinking trial execution end to end. 

Timestamps 

00:05 – An unlikely path to the C-suite 

06:00 – How the Precision CEO role came about 

06:50 – Trusting your instincts over prestige 

09:50 – When personal choices shape a career 

13:25 – Why in-person connection still matters 

14:25 – How the CRO industry grew up 

19:05 – Inside Precision’s culture 

20:55 – What really sets CROs apart 

23:40 – Why innovation is so hard in clinical trials 

27:05 – Optimizing silos instead of the system 

30:15 – Can regulators be a catalyst for change? 

34:45 – FSP: back to the future? 

38:40 – Thinking like a mathematician 

41:30 – From best-kept secret to go-to partner 

45:50 – Life as a new empty nester 

Guest Biography 

Margaret Keegan is the CEO of Precision Medicine Group, a global drug development and commercialization services company with deep expertise in complex areas such as oncology and rare disease. A mathematician by training, she built a career spanning Glaxo, PPD, Quintiles and IQVIA, where she served as President of Clinical Development, and PRA Health Sciences, where she was COO, before joining private equity firm Linden Capital Partners. Driven by a passion for data that makes a difference, Margaret is focused on bringing fresh, systems-level thinking to how clinical trials are run.