Patrick Flanagan
Chief Executive Officer
Patrick Flanagan
Chief Executive Officer
Patrick Flanagan is Chief Executive Officer of Veristat, responsible for the company’s strategy, business management and financial performance. In collaboration with company leaders, Patrick oversees the development and implementation of Veristat’s organizational goals and business strategies, which include successfully spearheading integration planning for Veristat’s numerous acquisitions.
Patrick has built an impressive career—effectively leading organizations, successfully driving commercial growth and international expansion, and profoundly impacting healthcare around the globe. Prior to joining Veristat in 2013, Patrick supported the success of organizations across the consulting, healthcare, and software fields in business and financial management roles with increasing responsibility including at A.T. Kearney, Baxter International, Allegiance Healthcare and Oracle. Patrick served as Chief Operating Officer of Certara and the General Manager of Certara’s Pharsight Consulting Services Group, a Vector Capital portfolio company engaged in the business of providing consulting services and software to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
Patrick plays an active role as an advocate of the rare disease community. Patrick, his family, and the Veristat team have been annual supporters for 8 years of Memorial Sloan Kettering's Cycle for Survival, the movement to beat rare cancers. Together, they have generated approximately $500,000 for cancer research.
Beyond realizing successful business and financial results, Patrick has fostered a positive and inclusive corporate culture where employees are valued and recognized. He has been a steadfast champion of Veristat’s corporate values, rooted in teamwork and scientific excellence, viewing them as essential in helping to bring new therapies to market to save and extend lives.
Patrick holds a BS in Business from Penn State University and an MBA with a concentration in Finance and Marketing from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. Patrick is also an active father, skier, golfer, occasional marathon runner and aging tri-athlete.
Patrick has built an impressive career—effectively leading organizations, successfully driving commercial growth and international expansion, and profoundly impacting healthcare around the globe. Prior to joining Veristat in 2013, Patrick supported the success of organizations across the consulting, healthcare, and software fields in business and financial management roles with increasing responsibility including at A.T. Kearney, Baxter International, Allegiance Healthcare and Oracle. Patrick served as Chief Operating Officer of Certara and the General Manager of Certara’s Pharsight Consulting Services Group, a Vector Capital portfolio company engaged in the business of providing consulting services and software to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
Patrick plays an active role as an advocate of the rare disease community. Patrick, his family, and the Veristat team have been annual supporters for 8 years of Memorial Sloan Kettering's Cycle for Survival, the movement to beat rare cancers. Together, they have generated approximately $500,000 for cancer research.
Beyond realizing successful business and financial results, Patrick has fostered a positive and inclusive corporate culture where employees are valued and recognized. He has been a steadfast champion of Veristat’s corporate values, rooted in teamwork and scientific excellence, viewing them as essential in helping to bring new therapies to market to save and extend lives.
Patrick holds a BS in Business from Penn State University and an MBA with a concentration in Finance and Marketing from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. Patrick is also an active father, skier, golfer, occasional marathon runner and aging tri-athlete.
John P. Balser, PhD
Founder, President, and Chief Statistical Officer
John P. Balser, PhD
Founder, President, and Chief Statistical Officer
John Balser, PhD, co-founder, President & Chief Statistical Officer of Veristat, has developed the company as industry leaders in areas of clinical monitoring, data management, biostatistics and programming, medical writing, and project management. John is actively involved with clinical projects in his role as one of Veristat’s principal statistical consultants. In this role, he assists clients with clinical study design and program development based on his many years of experience in the statistical aspects of clinical research. He is often called upon to aid clients on a variety of statistical issues at meetings with regulatory agencies.
Prior to founding Veristat in 1994, John served as Vice President, Biostatistics, and Data Management at Medical & Technical Research Associates, Inc. He has held positions of increasing responsibility in the biostatistics departments at various pharmaceutical companies including E.R. Squibb, Biogen, and Miles.
John received his MS and PhD in Biometrics from Cornell University, and has been actively engaged in clinical biostatistics for over 30 years. John is an avid runner and has competed in the Boston Marathon.
Prior to founding Veristat in 1994, John served as Vice President, Biostatistics, and Data Management at Medical & Technical Research Associates, Inc. He has held positions of increasing responsibility in the biostatistics departments at various pharmaceutical companies including E.R. Squibb, Biogen, and Miles.
John received his MS and PhD in Biometrics from Cornell University, and has been actively engaged in clinical biostatistics for over 30 years. John is an avid runner and has competed in the Boston Marathon.
Barbara Balser, VMD
Founder, Executive Vice President, and Chief Scientific Officer
Barbara Balser, VMD
Founder, Executive Vice President, and Chief Scientific Officer
Barbara Balser, VMD, co-founder, Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Veristat, is primarily responsible for strategic planning and consulting, medical oversight and production of regulatory submission documents. Barbara has more than 30 years of clinical research experience that encompasses both the pharmaceutical and contract research organization industries. Her experience includes oversight and production of Investigational New Drug (IND) applications, regulatory agency briefing documents, preparation for and representation at advisory panel meetings, and consultation across Phase 1 to 4 trials in multiple therapeutic areas with a specific focus in oncology and anti-infectives.
Barbara has participated in the writing, oversight, and submission of multiple marketing applications to US, Canadian, Japanese, and European Union regulatory authorities. Prior to co-founding Veristat, Barbara served as Associate Director of Clinical Research at Medical & Technical Research Associates, Inc. where she was responsible for strategic planning, design, and management of clinical development programs; preparation and submission of regulatory applications; and scientific communications.Barbara began her career in the pharmaceutical industry at Miles, Inc. (currently Bayer Corporation). In her capacity as Assistant Director of Clinical Research at Miles, Barbara assisted with strategic planning for the clinical development of anti-infective compounds from Phases 2 to 4 and with the planning, writing, and compilation of two successful NDAs for anti-infective products. Prior to joining the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, Barbara practiced veterinary medicine at a private veterinary hospital. Barbara holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Engineering and Applied Science, and a VMD from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine. When Barbara isn’t busy traveling the world for our clients, she enjoys spending time on the beach with a good book.
Barbara has participated in the writing, oversight, and submission of multiple marketing applications to US, Canadian, Japanese, and European Union regulatory authorities. Prior to co-founding Veristat, Barbara served as Associate Director of Clinical Research at Medical & Technical Research Associates, Inc. where she was responsible for strategic planning, design, and management of clinical development programs; preparation and submission of regulatory applications; and scientific communications.Barbara began her career in the pharmaceutical industry at Miles, Inc. (currently Bayer Corporation). In her capacity as Assistant Director of Clinical Research at Miles, Barbara assisted with strategic planning for the clinical development of anti-infective compounds from Phases 2 to 4 and with the planning, writing, and compilation of two successful NDAs for anti-infective products. Prior to joining the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, Barbara practiced veterinary medicine at a private veterinary hospital. Barbara holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Engineering and Applied Science, and a VMD from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine. When Barbara isn’t busy traveling the world for our clients, she enjoys spending time on the beach with a good book.
Cindy Henderson
Chief Strategy Officer
Cindy Henderson
Chief Strategy Officer
Cindy Henderson is Chief Strategy Officer at Veristat and a key member of our Executive Leadership Team (ELT) team. In her role, Cindy leads the overall company strategy development and oversees the implementation of associated customer-centric growth plans while ensuring Veristat maintains its focus and alignment with our mission and vision. Additionally, Cindy leads the Technology infrastructure and is spearheading Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) initiatives throughout the organization to improve communication and operational efficiency in order to deliver better clinical trials to sponsors.
With over 30 years of experience, 15+ with Veristat, Cindy brings a unique blend of commercial leadership and customer acumen necessary to support the intricate and dynamic requirements of Veristat's growing global service offerings and client base. She is instrumental in helping our clients succeed amidst global market uncertainty, rising drug development costs, growing complexities, and increased regulatory scrutiny. Most recently, Cindy served as Veristat's Chief Commercial Officer, lending insight into the ideal sequence of events for clinical studies to quickly advance toward regulatory submission.
Prior to joining Veristat in 2007, Cindy served as the Senior Manager of Training, Innovations and Processes at Averion International Corporation where she led various initiatives to create and improve standard operating procedures, implemented new technologies for data management, and facilitated several key corporate acquisitions. While at Parexel International Corporation as the Associate Director of Data Management, Cindy managed several international clinical trials, developed SOPs and processes, provided training and participated in software development, validation, and implementation efforts.
Outside of Veristat Cindy is a Board Member and Supervising Judge for the North American Flyball Association. She also competes in this fun and fast-paced sport with her two border collies as part of the Patriot Flyball Team.
With over 30 years of experience, 15+ with Veristat, Cindy brings a unique blend of commercial leadership and customer acumen necessary to support the intricate and dynamic requirements of Veristat's growing global service offerings and client base. She is instrumental in helping our clients succeed amidst global market uncertainty, rising drug development costs, growing complexities, and increased regulatory scrutiny. Most recently, Cindy served as Veristat's Chief Commercial Officer, lending insight into the ideal sequence of events for clinical studies to quickly advance toward regulatory submission.
Prior to joining Veristat in 2007, Cindy served as the Senior Manager of Training, Innovations and Processes at Averion International Corporation where she led various initiatives to create and improve standard operating procedures, implemented new technologies for data management, and facilitated several key corporate acquisitions. While at Parexel International Corporation as the Associate Director of Data Management, Cindy managed several international clinical trials, developed SOPs and processes, provided training and participated in software development, validation, and implementation efforts.
Outside of Veristat Cindy is a Board Member and Supervising Judge for the North American Flyball Association. She also competes in this fun and fast-paced sport with her two border collies as part of the Patriot Flyball Team.
Kim Boericke
Chief Operating Officer
Kim Boericke
Chief Operating Officer
Kim Boericke is Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Veristat and is a member of the Executive Leadership Team. In her role, Kim is responsible for the global operations of Veristat’s clinical trials, projects, and programs. Her oversight ensures quality, timely, and harmonized service delivery across the drug development lifecycle, from strategy to execution, from Phase I—IV clinical trials to market applications, post-marketing, and product lifecycle management.
A scientifically astute executive with 25 years of clinical research industry experience, Kim brings specialized experience in clinical trial design and decentralized clinical trial (DCT) deployment across all regions in a range of therapeutic areas. Her high-quality standards and efficient approach shape her ability to devise and implement innovative strategic solutions for her clients to accelerate their success.
Prior to joining Veristat in 2024, Kim was COO at Thread where she led the professional services team of design services, technology enablement, and patient-centered operations. Kim previously held executive-level positions at ICON, IQVIA, ClinTrials, INC Research, Duke Clinical Research Institute, and i3 Research, playing pivotal roles advising, planning and delivering on study requirements, consistently exceeding business growth targets. In addition, she has been an active board member for MAPI Trust, both as Chairwoman and as Independent Director.
Kim graduated from Duke University with a degree in biology and is the author of more than 15 published articles. She serves as a mentor to her teams and subject matter expert within organizations and the clinical operations community at large, participating in industry-wide forums to help solve complex problems. Kim is a champion of patient centricity and inclusion and works with NC schools advocating for STEM education. She is married with two children and an adorable Goldendoodle. Kim enjoys Pilates, reading, cooking and beach time.
A scientifically astute executive with 25 years of clinical research industry experience, Kim brings specialized experience in clinical trial design and decentralized clinical trial (DCT) deployment across all regions in a range of therapeutic areas. Her high-quality standards and efficient approach shape her ability to devise and implement innovative strategic solutions for her clients to accelerate their success.
Prior to joining Veristat in 2024, Kim was COO at Thread where she led the professional services team of design services, technology enablement, and patient-centered operations. Kim previously held executive-level positions at ICON, IQVIA, ClinTrials, INC Research, Duke Clinical Research Institute, and i3 Research, playing pivotal roles advising, planning and delivering on study requirements, consistently exceeding business growth targets. In addition, she has been an active board member for MAPI Trust, both as Chairwoman and as Independent Director.
Kim graduated from Duke University with a degree in biology and is the author of more than 15 published articles. She serves as a mentor to her teams and subject matter expert within organizations and the clinical operations community at large, participating in industry-wide forums to help solve complex problems. Kim is a champion of patient centricity and inclusion and works with NC schools advocating for STEM education. She is married with two children and an adorable Goldendoodle. Kim enjoys Pilates, reading, cooking and beach time.
Joshua Korth
Chief Financial Officer
Joshua Korth
Chief Financial Officer
Josh joined Veristat in 2024 and serves as Chief Financial Officer. In his role, Josh safeguards Veristat’s financial well-being, leading the company’s global finance function and overseeing all strategic and tactical matters related to financial planning, budget management and forecasting, enhancing profitability and enabling more robust business planning and analysis.
He works closely with Veristat’s executive team to drive the provision of exceptional value to sponsors by leveraging our strengths and solid financial position..
Josh’s career spans more than two decades in financial and leadership positions mentoring teams, driven by a commitment to high standards and quality results. Prior to joining Veristat, Josh served as CFO at Envision Pharma Group. Before this, he held the position of Chief Financial Officer at Two Labs where he played a lead role in optimizing the efficient delivery of commercial services to pharmaceutical manufacturers. His previous CFO roles span a number of large global organizations including Crenlo Cabs, DuBois Chemicals, Schulman IRB (Advarra), and Evenflo. He began his career as an Auditor at KPMG and later worked as a Senior Manager at PwC.
Josh is a certified public accountant (non-active) and attended Indiana University Bloomington where he earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Accounting.
He works closely with Veristat’s executive team to drive the provision of exceptional value to sponsors by leveraging our strengths and solid financial position..
Josh’s career spans more than two decades in financial and leadership positions mentoring teams, driven by a commitment to high standards and quality results. Prior to joining Veristat, Josh served as CFO at Envision Pharma Group. Before this, he held the position of Chief Financial Officer at Two Labs where he played a lead role in optimizing the efficient delivery of commercial services to pharmaceutical manufacturers. His previous CFO roles span a number of large global organizations including Crenlo Cabs, DuBois Chemicals, Schulman IRB (Advarra), and Evenflo. He began his career as an Auditor at KPMG and later worked as a Senior Manager at PwC.
Josh is a certified public accountant (non-active) and attended Indiana University Bloomington where he earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Accounting.
Colleen Pelton
Chief Talent Officer
Colleen Pelton
Chief Talent Officer
Colleen Pelton is Chief Talent Officer of Veristat, responsible for overseeing our global Talent and Culture function including global HR management, leadership development, career growth and development, organizational design, diversity, integration of acquired businesses, and accelerating growth globally.
Colleen has dedicated her entire career to human resources roles across a variety of industries, the majority of which have been healthcare-related. Her wide-ranging expertise spans the design and implementation of global talent management and acquisition-related initiatives for billion-dollar global enterprises operating in 30+ markets with thousands of employees.
Prior to joining Veristat in 2021, Colleen served as Senior Vice President, People and Performance for Dental Services Group, leading the HR function. From 2014-2016, Colleen served as Senior VP, HR Leader at St. Jude Medical, Inc. where her responsibilities included developing a multi-year road map to evolve the broader organizational structure and capitalize on high growth opportunities. From 2004-2014, Colleen served in global HR roles with increasing responsibility at Smith & Nephew PLC, leading transformative global HR initiatives, harmonizing HR processes globally, mentoring management and improving the employee experience.
Colleen graduated from the University of Florida where she received a B.A. in Communications. When reflecting on her career, Colleen expresses her heartfelt satisfaction from supporting organizations that help people live longer, healthier lives. She brings a reputation for fostering a positive workplace culture and helping employees adapt to ever-changing work environments.
Colleen has dedicated her entire career to human resources roles across a variety of industries, the majority of which have been healthcare-related. Her wide-ranging expertise spans the design and implementation of global talent management and acquisition-related initiatives for billion-dollar global enterprises operating in 30+ markets with thousands of employees.
Prior to joining Veristat in 2021, Colleen served as Senior Vice President, People and Performance for Dental Services Group, leading the HR function. From 2014-2016, Colleen served as Senior VP, HR Leader at St. Jude Medical, Inc. where her responsibilities included developing a multi-year road map to evolve the broader organizational structure and capitalize on high growth opportunities. From 2004-2014, Colleen served in global HR roles with increasing responsibility at Smith & Nephew PLC, leading transformative global HR initiatives, harmonizing HR processes globally, mentoring management and improving the employee experience.
Colleen graduated from the University of Florida where she received a B.A. in Communications. When reflecting on her career, Colleen expresses her heartfelt satisfaction from supporting organizations that help people live longer, healthier lives. She brings a reputation for fostering a positive workplace culture and helping employees adapt to ever-changing work environments.