Episode 9: Leading with Purpose - Peyton Howell, CEO of Parexel

In this warm, energizing conversation, Peyton Howell, CEO of Parexel, sits down with Patty just months after stepping into the top job at one of the world’s largest CROs. From waitressing and volunteering as a candy striper at 13 to boldly building her own patient access company early in her career, Peyton has spent her entire working life in healthcare, and she brings that same entrepreneurial spirit to leading a global organization. 

You’ll hear Peyton and Patty explore how a large CRO can stay nimble enough to drive innovation, what it means to make patient-guided drug development the norm, and the realities of a leadership transition at the highest level. They also get candid about the progress, and the remaining work, for women in leadership, the programs that help talent thrive, and where AI fits into the future of clinical research. This episode explores how authenticity, purpose, and energy can drive meaningful change in a complex, fast-moving industry. 

What you’ll hear about 

• How can large CROs stay nimble enough to drive real innovation? 

• What will it take to make patient-guided drug development standard practice? 

• What makes a leadership succession truly seamless at the top? 

• How far has the industry really come for women in leadership? 

• How can clinical research attract and keep its next generation of talent? 

• Are sponsors finally ready to embrace AI in clinical trials? 

This episode is intended for clinical operations leaders and CRO executives, offering a clear perspective on leading with purpose while driving innovation and patient-centered change at scale. 

Timestamps 

00:05 – A lifelong calling to healthcare 

01:45 – A first brush with clinical trials 

04:00 – Taking a bold entrepreneurial leap 

05:45 – Bringing an entrepreneurial mindset to a global CRO 

08:05 – How a large CRO drives change 

10:25 – Putting the patient voice at the center 

12:40 – Inside a planned CEO succession 

15:25 – Women in leadership: threading the needle 

17:10 – The power of performance capital 

19:00 – Mentoring programs that build leaders for life 

23:30 – Authenticity, vulnerability, and leadership as a journey 

26:05 – Why energy and passion change culture 

27:20 – Talent: the industry’s biggest challenge 

30:40 – AI, patient-guided development, and the next decade 

34:50 – The rewards and pressures of leading at pace 

36:40 – The mark she hopes to leave 

Guest Biography 

Peyton Howell is the CEO of Parexel, one of the world’s largest clinical research organizations. Having spent her entire career in healthcare, she helped build The Lash Group into a pioneering patient access company before joining Parexel in 2018, where she launched its biotech division and championed patient-guided drug development. As CEO, she leads with heart, energy, and purpose, working to put the patient voice at the center of clinical research and to create a culture where talent thrives.