Corporate Team

Elite Clinical Network runs a tightly managed group of study sites that reflect the supervisory skills of a highly professional corporate team. Unlike the loose structure of an SMO, our organization relies upon hands-on attention to detail. Each management team member offers vast experience, research savvy and the skill to facilitate your studies in an efficient, expedient manner.

Chief Executive Officer

As ECN’s Chief Executive Officer, Chris brings 25 years of experience serving in key executive roles at large and mid-sized Contract Research Organizations (CROs), clinical trial enablement companies providing medical imaging, clinical trial management, and patient recruitment solutions, as well as at drug development companies.

Chris’ breadth and depth of industry knowledge, and his honed business leadership skills, enable him to oscillate between setting ECN’s strategic vision and leading the company, with an attention to tactical details, through an aggressive plan to grow ECN’s capabilities set and clinical site network.

Chief Operating Officer

As Chief Operating Officer, David has launched and managed several successful clinical research sites over the course of his 18-year career. He has worked in every facet of the industry, including conducting phase one studies with many leading CROs and Sponsors.

His goal has always been to create a network of clinical sites unlike a SMO that is able to achieve high enrollment while ensuring the highest quality data.

“Our success is contributed to having a well-educated and diverse corporate team that is able to keep its finger on the pulse at all times, unlike a SMO we are a hands-on organization that knows how to achieve high enrollment while providing high quality data”

Operating Partner

With his extensive experience and proven track record working with sponsors, partners, and investors to advance critical new therapies, Chip will play a pivotal role in helping ECN continue to grow and meet the increasingly demanding and complex requirements of today’s research studies. Chip’s sector experience includes more than a decade at Quintiles (now IQVIA) where as a member of NovaQuest, the strategic investing and partnering arm of Quintiles, he led a global team that worked with emerging and mid-size biotechs to advance new therapies. Following Quintiles, Chip served as CEO of Cognitive Research Corporation, a rapidly growing, therapeutically focused CRO targeting the CNS markets. 

Medical Director

Jon Ruckle MD brings over 25 years of clinical trial experience to ECN.

He has served as an Investigator for over 350 clinical trials.

Chief Financial Officer

Jim brings over 25 years of financial leadership experience to ECN, partnering with investment sponsors and leadership teams in rapidly growing organizations.

With a broad understanding of operations, technology, sales, and human resources, Jim’s inclusive leadership approach promotes collaboration across the organization to develop results-focused strategies and outcomes. Jim is passionate about inspiring and collaborating towards sustainable, exceptional performance. He holds an MBA in both Finance and Information Technology, and is a CPA.

Vice President of Operations

As Vice President of Operations, Melissa brings over 18+ years of experience to ECN. This spans clinical strategy and operations, clinical trial management, and project execution, ensuring seamless planning and implementation of clinical programs from Phase I to Phase III.

Her key strengths include building and empowering high-performing teams and enhancing program success, ensuring high-quality outcomes for clinical initiatives.

Director of Patient Recruitment

Harmony brings extensive experience in patient recruitment, engagement strategy, and clinical care, with a background spanning private practice, clinical trial operations, and leadership across ophthalmology, oncology, rare disease, and general medicine.

Harmony has worked on the site, sponsor and CRO sides of the industry, giving her a balanced perspective on what it takes to meet enrollment goals while maintaining a high-quality patient experience. She is passionate about streamlining processes, building cross-functional collaboration, and helping teams work effectively together. Harmony will focus on unifying ECN’s recruitment operations, strengthening patient recruitment and marketing coordination, and helping ensure consistency and effectiveness. Driven by a passion for innovation, Harmony is committed to transforming the recruitment process into a more strategic, unified system—one that not only improves site performance but also supports a more personalized, efficient, and respectful patient journey.

Head of Patient Recruitment Marketing

Marina brings to ECN 10+ years of marketing experience in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, driving leads heading the patient recruitment marketing team.

Marina and her patient recruitment marketing team ensures around-the-clock engagement with potential participants, engaging through digital and social platforms to ensure leads and referrals.

Medical Director- Neurology

Medical Director- Orthopedic Surgeon

Medical Director- Gastroenterologist

Medical Director- Rheumatologist

Medical Director- Psychiatrist

Medical Director- Dermatologist

Medical Director- Pulmonologist, Sleep Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Geriatrics

Medical Director- Cardiologist

Medical Director- Infectious Disease

Medical Director- Obesity Medicine

Medical Director- Cardiologist

Medical Director- Endocrinologist

Medical Director- Nephrologist

Medical DirectoR- obstetrics and Gynecology

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