Unparalleled knowledge and experience

Prof Sir Martin Landray is CEO of Protas, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Oxford Population Health and a consultant hospital physician. He has over 20 years’ experience of leading large, randomised trials and is a joint lead of the RECOVERY trial of treatments for COVID-19. He works closely with regulators, industry, academia, patient groups and government organisations to improve all aspects of clinical trials.

Dr Abby Taylor is COO and is responsible for the efficient establishment of Protas and our operations. Abby was the Associate Director of Strategy and Data Insights for the Wellcome Trust, where she spent almost a decade leading the development and delivery of many of Wellcome’s major strategic initiatives and its international expansion. Abby has a PhD in biochemistry.

Stefan Blixen-Finecke is Protas’ CIO and is responsible for the efficient establishment and operation of our information technology services, including our unified clinical trials management platform, Cantata. Before joining Protas, Stefan was the Chief Technology Officer at the European Medicines Agency, where he led the development of strategic platforms underpinning medicines regulation in Europe. He has also held technology leadership roles at the Financial Conduct Authority and Telenor Denmark.

Maggie Payne is CFO and is responsible for all areas of finance at Protas, including the financial strategy to support the delivery of our vision of smarter trials for better health. Her remit includes stewardship and ensuring our ongoing financial stability, and leading and developing the Finance Team. Maggie is a Chartered Accountant and was previously the CFO of the Wellcome Sanger Institute, which conducts world-leading genomics research in collaboration across the globe. She has a wealth of experience from other corporate roles across the life sciences sector including at Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, Skyepharma, Gilead and Provensis.

Gaynor Dalton is responsible for ensuring information is handled securely, legally and ethically across our sites, systems and services. She has over 10 years’ experience of managing the security and governance of data within the healthcare sector and over 15 years’ experience in legal services. She is also Protas’ Data Protection Officer and Caldicott Guardian.

Dr Jeremy Day is a physician trained in general internal medicine and infectious diseases. He has more than 20 years’ experience in clinical trial design and delivery and basic science research, and a passion for improving global health.

Jen Dumbleton leads the trial management team at Protas and is Product Owner of our clinical trials platform, Cantata. With 20 years’ experience in clinical research, she previously led one of the UK’s largest academic drug trials and held roles in monitoring and data management at a global clinical research organisation.

Leading the statistics team at Protas, Jonathan Emberson is also Professor of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology at Oxford Population Health, where he has gained over 20 years’ experience in the design, analysis and interpretation of randomised trials. 

John Etheridge is a senior programme and operations leader, with experience in clinical trials and health research more broadly. He leverages approaches from project and operations management to drive efficiency and innovation in trial design and operations.

Charlotte Flower has over 10 years’ experience in commercial law, primarily in healthcare and life sciences. At Protas, Charlotte is responsible for all legal matters including negotiating contracts, managing legal risk and providing company secretarial support working in partnership with colleagues across the organisation.

As Financial Controller, Gerry Grant is responsible for overseeing Protas’ financial operations and financial reporting. Gerry has over 10 years’ experience in financial management and reporting and is a UK Chartered Management Accountant. 

Mandi Harcourt has worked in HR for 35 years across a range of industries and sectors.  She set up, and now leads, the Protas HR team, encompassing recruitment, reward and talent development.  Mandi is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Professor Richard Haynes is a consultant kidney doctor in the NHS and Professor of Renal Medicine and Clinical Trials at Oxford Population Health. He has worked on and led large, randomised trials for over 15 years in cardiovascular, kidney and infectious diseases, and has a keen interest in ensuring that all areas of health benefit from streamlined trials.

Kevin Hollingworth is responsible for the development and operation of Protas’ clinical trials platform, Cantata. Previously, he has been responsible for NHS Scotland’s vaccination data, developed software medical devices and held positions of Global Software Development Manager (Emerson) and Vice President of Technology (G4S Technology). 

Isabel Hope-Urwin leads marketing, communications and patient and public involvement and engagement. She has senior creative and strategic experience across industries, including healthcare, charity and advertising. She is passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion, previously chaired an EDI network and is trustee of a learning disability charity. 

Omar Latif leads enterprise technology at Protas, defining the technology roadmap and overseeing operational activities. Having worked in a variety of sectors previously, Omar brings a wide range of technology experience, from head of technology for small software houses to platform technology lead at large-scale logistics organisations.

Emma Law is responsible for the development and implementation of Protas’ quality management system, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements for clinical trials. She has a background in quality assurance, research ethics and integrity, and an MSc in Quality Management in Scientific Research and Development from Cranfield University.

Professor Sir Rory Collins FRS FMedSci FRCP is an epidemiologist and clinical trialist. He joined Oxford University in 1981, where he has designed and conducted large, streamlined randomised trials. He became Principal Investigator of the UK Biobank study in 2005, was knighted for services to science in 2011, established Oxford University’s Nuffield Department of Population Health in 2013, and was elected to the Royal Society in 2015.

Sir Jonathan Symonds CBE is Chair of GSK. A chartered accountant, he has extensive international financial, life sciences and governance experience. Previous roles include Chair of HSBC Bank, Chief Financial Officer of Novartis and AstraZeneca, Non-Executive Chair of Proteus Digital Health and Non-Executive Director of Rubius Therapeutics. Jon is a Non-Executive Director of Genomics England Limited, Non-Executive Chair of Energy Aspects and a member of the European Round Table for Industry.

Dr Beth Thompson MBE is Executive Director, Policy and Partnerships at Wellcome, where she leads global policy initiatives, government relations and strategic partnerships. Beth’s career has focused on turning science into real-world impact through roles in policy, advocacy and strategy. She has been influential in shaping the health research environment in the UK and EU, and was awarded an MBE for services to science in 2017. She holds a PhD from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology.

Esther Krofah MPP is the Executive Vice President of Health for the Milken Institute. She has extensive experience managing efforts to unite diverse stakeholders to solve critical issues and achieve shared goals that improve patients’ lives. Esther previously served as Director of Public Policy at GSK and held roles in the United States government and consulting to advance health reform. Esther received a BA from Duke University and a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University.

Dr Annalisa Jenkins MBBS FRCP has over 25 years’ experience building and financing companies pursuing cures for the most challenging diseases. She has consistently mentored leadership teams advancing vital global health programmes, with a portfolio spanning the public, private and charitable sectors, including Merck Serono, Bristol Myers-Squibb, Genomics England and British Heart Foundation. A life sciences thought leader, Annalisa also contributes publicly on leadership with purpose, social entrepreneurship, diversity and innovation.