Laboratory Corporation of America has announced the next CEO of its Covance Drug Development division, just two weeks after Deborah Keller announced she would resign.
John Ratliff, a seasoned biopharma executive, will take Keller's place when she resigns on Oct. 1. Ratliff most recently served as CEO of Huya Bioscience International, a drug development firm that works with Chinese companies.
Before Huya, Ratliff spent nearly 10 years at Quintiles, a major contract research organization and provider of other pharmaceutical support services. Throughout his time there, he held the positions of chief financial officer, chief operating officer and president.
“LabCorp is a global leader in healthcare innovation, and the addition of Covance has strengthened its position as the world's leading healthcare diagnostics company,” Ratliff said in a statement. “The Covance team has an unwavering commitment to quality and service, furthering the company's strategy of bringing innovative new medicines to patients faster. I am excited to join a highly accomplished leadership team that is deeply committed to improving health and improving lives around the globe.”
LabCorp said Keller was pursuing other opportunities, but didn't provide any details on why she chose to leave. She was promoted to Covance CEO in July 2015 and led the company's integration into LabCorp. LabCorp acquired Covance in 2014.
