Our leadership makes a powerful impact

Our leaders drive success

When Rho began, Ron and Mary Helms realized the need for an organization that would provide scientific and consulting expertise and that is committed to delivering quality customer service. They envisioned a company that would enhance the quality and speed of clinical trials, helping pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies swiftly bring new products to the market. Today, their vision remains at Rho's core—to improve health, extend life, and enhance quality of life through corporate and research excellence.

Dynamic leadership teams help guide our mission at Rho. Our Board of Directors sets a clear vision for the future; our Leadership Team helps make that vision a reality by setting goals and motivating the workforce to reach them; our Content Area Leadership Teams align individual business units and execute Rho's strategy and vision. Together, these leadership teams guide an organization of more than 350 people striving to make the Helmses' vision a reality.

• Ronald W. Helms, Ph.D.
  Chairman and Co-founder
• Mary W. Helms
  President and Co-founder
• Laura Helms Reece, Dr.P.H.
  Chief Executive Officer
• Russell W. Helms, Ph.D.
  Chief Executive Officer
• Herman Mitchell, Ph.D.
  Vice President, Rho Federal Systems

• David Shoemaker, Ph.D.
  Senior Vice President, R&D
• Tara Gladwell, M.B.A., PMP
  Vice President, Operations
• Amanda Derr, C.P.A.
  Vice President, Internal Services
• Amy Schaberg, B.S.N.
  Vice President, Operations
• Dave Shortino, M.B.A.
  Vice President, Corporate Services

Ronald W. Helms, Ph.D.

Chairman and Co-founder

"We believe in delivering the highest quality work, on time and without compromise."

Ron is a world-renowned biostatistician whose entrepreneurial spirit and unwavering conviction helped lay the groundwork for Rho’s success. His expertise has been pivotal in numerous projects that have greatly advanced biomedical research in areas such as sickle cell disease, organ transplantation, and intellectual disability. Today, he relishes the opportunity to mentor and advise a talented group of leaders at Rho. Through the fusion of creative wit and extensive experience in strategic planning, Ron helps ensure that clients accelerate their process of delivering treatments to patients.

Ron received his master's degree in mathematics from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and his Ph.D. in statistics from North Carolina State University. While working on his Ph.D., Ron began what would be a continuing association with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where his passion for efficient, quality research began. After serving in UNC-CH's Department of Biostatistics for more than 30 years, Ron became Professor Emeritus in 2000.

Throughout his career, Rho's chairman has served as an honored member of many academic associations and societies, such as the Society for Clinical Trials. He is also a fellow of the American Statistical Association. Ron has also authored or coauthored more than 120 peer-reviewed papers and publications that reflect extraordinary contributions to the advancement of statistical and medical sciences.

Ron is a husband, father, and grandfather. He is a private pilot and a certified whitewater kayaking instructor whose hobbies include hiking, reading, and photography.

Mary W. Helms

President and Co-founder

"Rho always strives to be a partner, not just a service provider."

Mary's natural business acumen and unshakable work ethic serve her well as President and Co-founder of Rho. In 1984, Mary and her husband, Ron, started Rho in the basement of their home in Chapel Hill. Now, nearly 25 years later, Mary continues to be one of the primary leaders responsible for Rho's solid reputation as one of the most respected data management providers in the clinical research industry. She is a driving force behind Rho's maturity as a full-service, high-quality CRO.

Before starting Rho, the University of Tennessee graduate was the programming supervisor and head of data management at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. This affiliate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the nation's largest multidisciplinary centers dedicated to improving the care and education of young children.

Mary has made a lifelong commitment to helping people live longer, healthier lives through her work at Rho and as a volunteer with the March of Dimes. Her passionate support is a major reason why Rho is a three-time member of the March of Dimes' Gold Circle of Champions. Her spirit for service and activism is an inspiring force at Rho.

In her free time, Mary enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren.

Laura Helms Reece, Dr.P.H.

Chief Executive Officer

"The strength of Rho is our people—their intelligence, creativity, and drive ensure our success."

Laura is a graceful leader whose competitive yet easygoing personality propels Rho's culture of collaborative teamwork. She brings strong strategic thinking to her role as Chief Executive Officer, and her ability to create and maintain a hard-working, team-oriented culture makes her one of our most valuable assets.

In addition to her experience in industry working for Glaxo Inc. and AstraZeneca, Laura's familiarity with Rho helps her spread confidence throughout the company. On her path to becoming Chief Executive Officer, Laura's work in various functional areas helped her gain a broad understanding of Rho's services. Her knowledge and approachability allow her to help create processes that increase customer satisfaction, lower cost, and foster an inspiring culture for Rho's employees. Her respect for Rho's history and forward-thinking vision will help ensure that Rho remains a competitive world-class organization for decades to come.

Laura received her master's degree and Dr.P.H. in biostatistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a wife, a mother, and an avid reader who enjoys hiking, and sailing. Laura also takes pride in promoting the democratic process by encouraging women to vote.

Russell W. Helms, Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer

"If we're successful, it's because we're agile. We react quickly to change but always stay focused on serving our customers instead of ourselves."

As the Chief Executive Officer, Russ is the embodiment of Rho values—cheerful and approachable, principled and driven. His visionary leadership has positively affected individuals within all divisions of the company and will help ensure Rho's future success.

Russ worked at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences under a research fellowship before earning his master's and doctoral degrees in Biostatistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His leadership skills have been honed through extensive work experience in a broad array of departments at Rho. He has received significant research grants from the National Center for Research Resources and the National Cancer Institute, and he has authored over 30 publications and presentations.

Russ is actively involved in groups such as the American Statistical Association, the Drug Information Association, and the International Biometric Society. In addition, Russ has been a driving force behind the Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC) initiative, and he regularly speaks on the topic at industry events. Through his involvement in these organizations, he provides oversight and ideas and serves as a role model for other company executives and statisticians.

Russ is a proud father of four who strives to set a healthy, physically active example for his children. His favorite activities include volunteering, reading to his kids, playing basketball, writing, and tinkering with computers.

Herman Mitchell, Ph.D.

Vice President, Federal Operations

"Our ability to coordinate very large studies is right at the top of our industry."

Herman Mitchell brings an extraordinary degree of experience and ingenuity to Rho in the coordination of large-scale, multicenter studies on behalf of organizations within the National Institutes of Health. As one of the nation's finest principal investigators, Herman played a crucial role in securing federal projects that helped establish Rho Federal Systems Division. He and his team have played pivotal roles in landmark, federally sponsored studies across an array of therapeutic areas including asthma, sickle cell disease, organ transplantation, dentistry, and many more.

Herman received his Ph.D. in psychology from Purdue University and completed his post-doctoral work in epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Pittsburgh. He joined Rho in 1997 after a distinguished public health career in academic, corporate, and government environments, including stints with the University of Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the New England Research Institute. Herman is co-author of four books regarding asthma research projects in which he has played an investigative role. His participation in clinical research projects is documented in well over 100 abstracts and publications in 40 medical journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, The American Journal of Cardiology, and The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

David Shoemaker, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President, Research and Development

"Here at Rho we focus on efficiency. Our teams continually aim to work smarter together to provide accurate outcomes for our customers faster."

David possesses unique attributes as a creative problem solver and influential communicator, offering Rho extensive leadership skills and Regulatory expertise. He is a great listener making him a very effective teacher. He applies his scientific skills to projects he’s involved with and across the company as a whole. David is driven by efficiency as he ensures company compliance with applicable regulations and guidance documents through consultations with other departments, training and review of procedural documentation. As well as serving as a mentor for other Rho employees, David exudes a wealth of knowledge while representing Rho in client and auditor meetings regarding Regulatory Affairs.

David graduated from Trinity College in Connecticut with a BS in Chemistry and subsequently received his PhD in Physiology and Pharmacology from Duke University. He offers extensive experience in many therapeutic areas ranging from Oncology, Hematology, Circulatory, Respiratory, Nervous System, Transplants and many others. With this experience he brings years of knowledge from experience as a Director of Project Operations, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Project Management, and Sr. Vice President of Global Regulatory Affairs and Pharmacovigilance. David is very dedicated to his work, and in his free time enjoys music, hiking and kayaking, reading, and cheering on the Duke basketball team.

Tara Gladwell, M.B.A., PMP

Vice President, Operations

"Our customers enjoy working with our project leads because they drive projects forward with determination, sound judgment and experience, and customer service. At Rho we enjoy becoming a strategic thinking partner for our sponsors and this partnership delivers the best results."

As Rho’s Vice President of Operations, Tara brings a passion for clinical research and an uncompromising drive for research excellence. Her leadership coupled with these qualities helps her drive action and ensure the delivery of impeccable results by Rho’s commercial project teams. Her colleagues and clients both praise Tara for her common sense approach, her flexibility, and her approachability.

Tara received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Guilford College and her M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She joined Rho in 2001 as a Project Manager after several years working as a Research Associate at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, NC and as a Study Manager for a CRO in Seattle, Washington. Tara’s path to her current role included promotions to Assistant Director and then Director of Project Management. Later, her role expanded to include oversight of Rho’s Clinical Operations groups. In each position, she led increasingly larger groups in the delivery of quality results. Tara’s passion for building relationships and leading teams is exemplified in Rho’s commercial project teams who continue to deliver unmatched service to the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. In her free time, Tara enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

Amanda Derr, C.P.A.

Vice President, Internal Services

"Because Rho is privately held and has a history of strong financial performance, we have the luxury of making decisions that make good business sense for the long-term, which allows us to support our clients' objectives."

Amanda's forward-thinking insight and diligent determination help ensure that Rho remains profitable, enabling us to keep dreaming big. Her industry experience helps drive sound business decisions, and her ability to motivate people of contrasting opinions toward a common purpose makes her an integral member of Rho's leadership team. Amanda is responsible for strategic planning, budgets, and forecasting, and because she engages in all areas of our business, she possesses an invaluable understanding of Rho's end-to-end capabilities.

A graduate of Guilford College, Amanda boasts valuable experience as a finance officer. Before joining Rho in 2007, she was Vice President of Business Operations and Chief Financial Officer for Lineberry Research Associates. In addition, she is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants.

Amanda enjoys reading, listening to various genres of music, and supporting her family's activities.

Amy Schaberg, B.S.N.

Vice President, Operations

"My decision to join Rho was heavily influenced by my satisfaction as a former sponsor. I'm proud to be part of an organization so committed to delivering exceptional customer service and the highest-quality CRO services in the business."

Amy Schaberg has more than 25 years of experience in the clinical research industry. She has worked across the entire drug development process in a variety of roles from site coordinator early in her career to program leadership at both large and small pharmaceutical companies. Because of her experience, she brings a sponsor perspective to each encounter at Rho and identifies with the unique needs and requirements of each client. Amy is an extremely effective leader and mentor, which she primarily attributes to her first-hand knowledge of the drug development process.

Amy received her undergraduate degree in nursing from Boston University. In her most recent position before joining Rho, Amy was Vice President, Clinical Research at Inspire Pharmaceuticals. While at Inspire, she was responsible for the design and management of multiple clinical development programs involving three new chemical entities and seven INDs with an annual research budget of $20 million.

Outside of work, Amy enjoys camping and whitewater rafting. She credits much of her knowledge about teamwork to her time spent working as a whitewater rafting guide.

Dave Shortino, M.B.A.

Vice President, Corporate Services

"We provide an integrative work environment where creativity, teamwork, and innovation can flourish."

As the head of Business Operations, Dave provides a breadth of business expertise to Rho. His keen business sense, innovative thinking, and dedication make him an important asset to Rho's Leadership Team. He is responsible for preparing strategic plans, budgets, and forecasts necessary to manage Rho's facilities and administration. Dave is passionate about setting and achieving ambitious goals that will continue to expand Rho's success.

Since graduating from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and receiving his M.B.A. from Elon College, Dave has provided a multitude of business and financial services to companies in and around the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, North Carolina area. From establishing and restructuring corporations to preparing a company for rapid growth and initiating Rho's Employee Benefits Program, Dave has developed a unique skill set in his more than 20 years of experience. He's the perfect leader to lay the groundwork in business operations.

Dave enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and coaching his children's sports teams.

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