Episode 11: Leading with Clarity and Courage - Deirdre BeVard, SVP, R&D Strategic Operations at CSL

In this candid, heartfelt conversation, Deirdre BeVard, Senior Vice President of R&D Strategic Operations at CSL, sits down with Patty to reflect on a career that has touched nearly every corner of the clinical trial ecosystem, from CROs and sponsors to sites and service providers. Shaped by an Irish immigrant mother who taught her to embrace discomfort, Deirdre shares how a knot in her stomach became a compass for her biggest career moves. 

You’ll hear Deirdre and Patty explore the difference between being patient-focused and patient-centered, why finding the right trial is still far too hard, even for industry insiders, and the unspoken tensions within sponsor-CRO partnerships. They also take an honest look at technology’s promise and pitfalls, and the small acts of courage that help innovation take hold. This episode explores how the industry can meet patients and sites where they are, and why authentic leadership matters more than ever.

What you’ll hear about 

• Why is a career in clinical research more jungle gym than ladder? 

• What’s the real difference between being patient-focused and patient-centered in trials? 

• Why is finding the right clinical trial still so hard for patients? 

• What unspoken tensions shape the partnership between sponsors and their CROs? 

• Is new trial technology easing burdens, or shifting them onto sites? 

• Why do so many companies hesitate to be first with innovation? 

This episode is intended for clinical operations and outsourcing leaders, offering a clear perspective on building stronger sponsor-CRO partnerships and designing trials that work for sites and patients. 

Timestamps 

00:40 – Authenticity as a leadership style 

04:45 – An immigrant mother and the power of embracing discomfort 

08:15 – A career built like a jungle gym 

11:15 – Fitting trials into the natural care path 

13:50 – Patient-focused vs. patient-centered 

14:55 – Where clinical research fits among care options 

16:45 – How far are we from research as a routine option? 

18:10 – A personal search for the right trial 

21:45 – Balancing flexibility with data consistency 

24:30 – The unspoken realities of sponsor-CRO partnerships 

28:20 – Why aligning motivations matters 

32:20 – Setting expectations before the work begins 

33:05 – Tech enablement: real value vs. shiny objects 

36:50 – Why no one wants to go first 

39:45 – Small acts of courage and the power of collaboration 

Guest Biography 

Deirdre BeVard is Senior Vice President of R&D Strategic Operations at CSL, bringing more than three decades of experience spanning CROs, sponsors, research sites, and service providers. Driven by a deep commitment to connecting industry, patients, and their trusted physicians, she has long championed ways to make clinical research a more accessible part of patient care. She also serves as co-chair of the PALADIN consortium, working to strengthen collaboration between industry and patient advocacy groups.