Meet the team leading ECN's mission to deliver high-quality, patient-centred clinical research through trusted partnerships and operational excellence.
ABOUT OUR LEADERS
ECN's clinical research management team brings together decades of expertise across operations, finance, business development, and investigator relations. Their collective experience is what drives ECN's ability to deliver predictable, physician-led research at scale across every site in our network.
MEET OUR
Each member of ECN's leadership team brings deep domain expertise and a shared commitment to advancing clinical research through physician-led execution, operational excellence, and unwavering patient focus.
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.
Chip Gillooly is an accomplished life sciences executive with more than 20 years of experience building and scaling healthcare and life sciences organizations. As Operating Partner, he supports ECN Clinical’s strategic growth, organizational development, and long-term value creation. His background spans private equity, strategic partnerships, acquisitions, and executive leadership, including more than a decade at Quintiles, now IQVIA. Chip holds an MBA from Duke University.
Bracey Berard serves as Vice President of People Operations at ECN Clinical, leading people strategy across ECN’s growing organization. With decades of HR leadership experience across healthcare, hospitality, and startup environments, she brings expertise in employee relations, multi-site workforce management, organizational development, and building scalable HR systems. Her leadership focuses on creating an environment where people and performance grow together.
Jim Szakacs serves as Chief Financial Officer of ECN Clinical, leading finance and accounting while overseeing information technology, data management, and risk management. With more than 25 years of financial leadership experience, Jim brings expertise in scaling multi-site operations, M&A integration, and building systems for high-growth healthcare organizations. He holds an MBA in Finance and IT from Drexel University and is a CPA.
Sally serves as Director of Quality & Training at ECN, where she leads quality initiatives, training programs, SOP development, audit readiness, and process improvement across the network. With nearly nine years of clinical research experience, she have progressed from a Research Coordinator to leadership roles overseeing site operations, regional performance, and organizational quality. Her areas of focus include regulatory compliance, inspection readiness, staff development, and creating practical, sustainable processes that support high-quality research.
Misty Shtayyeh serves as Director of PI Relations at ECN Clinical, leading physician engagement and initiatives that strengthen ECN’s national investigator network. With more than 12 years of experience in healthcare operations and physician relations, she partners with investigators and site leadership to support investigator success, strengthen partnerships, and expand patient access to innovative clinical research.
MEET OUR
ECN's clinical research business development team works directly with sponsors, CROs, and biotech companies to match study requirements with the right sites, investigators, and patient populations across our network. Reach out to connect with our BD team directly.
Jason Biggs is the Director of Business Development at ECN, where he leads strategic partnerships with sponsors, CROs, and research sites to expand clinical trial opportunities across ECN’s growing network. Jason has experience supporting clinical research business development and site network expansion, with a focus on sponsor engagement, study feasibility, site identification, and relationship management. He is dedicated to helping sponsors accelerate study enrollment and execution by connecting them with high-performing research sites.
Nick Sanich leads strategic partnerships with biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and CRO organizations to drive clinical trial opportunities across ECN Clinical. With more than 14 years of experience in the medical industry, he brings a strong background in clinical research and business development. Nick works closely with sponsors, CROs, and investigators to align study opportunities with ECN’s capabilities and support successful trial execution.
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