Worldwide Clinical Trials is looking to grow to global CRO dominance with a new leader at the helm. Longtime president and CEO Peter Benton is retiring, with former Syneos Health CEO Alistair Macdonald taking up the mantle, Worldwide announced in a Sept. 15 release.
Benton will become a senior advisor to help guide Macdonald’s transition, the company said.
“Peter has built an extraordinary foundation, and I look forward to working closely with our talented teams to further elevate Worldwide’s impact as a leading customer-focused and innovative CRO,” Macdonald said in the release.
While at Syneos, Macdonald spearheaded revenue growth from $1 billion to $5 billion annually, according to the release. After about six years at Syneos, Benton joined GHO Capital Partners as an operating partner, where he worked for three years before departing to lead Worldwide.
“We are expanding our capabilities and scaling globally with a clear focus on becoming the market-leading CRO in customer service, quality, and responsiveness,” Matt Jennings, Worldwide’s executive chairman and an operating partner of the CRO’s majority owner Kohlberg, said in the release. “Alistair brings the right experience to lead this next chapter—a proven growth leader who knows how to scale organizations while preserving what makes them exceptional: our people, our culture, and our deep commitment to customers.”
Kohlberg bought a majority stake in Worldwide in August 2023. Earlier this year, the North Carolina-based CRO inked a deal to use tech firm NetraMark’s artificial intelligence in certain phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials. Worldwide’s site network extends across 60 countries, and the company employs more than 3,500 people.