CEO Today Europe Awards

www.ceotodaymagazine.com 62 CEO Today Europe Awards 2018 THE netherlands ROGER LEGTENBERG CEO of PSR Group B.V. How has your career path led you to becoming CEO of PSR? After finishing my Ph.D. in physiology in the early 2000s, I decided to defer a career as a scientist in academia, and to move to the pharmaceutical industry. I began my career in clinical drug development as a Clinical Research Associate and held positions as a Project Manager, Business Unit Manager and Business Development Director. Ultimately, I took over as CEO of PSR Group in 2010. To what do you attribute your success in this role? I have always believed in the basic principle that a CEO is only as successful as his or her team. As CEO one cannot specialize in all areas of expertise, therefore a successful CEO will assemble a dynamic team of experts who share and support the company’s vision. Ultimately, this will lead to a team which produces synergy and success for the business. What motivates you to achieve the best in your field of work? I believe that people, and their families, suffering from rare and often as-yet-unnamed diseases should have the same rights to a full and dignified life as patients with more common diseases. As part of PSR’s decision to fully focus on rare diseases, I made a long-term commitment to contribute as much as possible to this community and its stakeholders, in order to make significant changes in the diagnosis and development of new treatments for rare diseases. It is rewarding to be able to find unique and innovative solutions for the industry, which enables further growth of our business, employment growth and ultimately creating value for patients, the company and other stakeholders involved. What are some of PSR’s proudest achievements in recent years? In recent years we have shifted our focus to be fully dedicated to the rare diseases niche. Our decision to focus exclusively on rare diseases has been the key to success for PSR. Within this niche, we have changed our culture to a more modern organisation in which each individual is worth more than his or her resume. We facilitate personal growth and development in order for our staff to realise their full potential. We strive towards a coaching managerial style instead of a top-down hierarchical style. PSR is recognised by rare disease stakeholders as a thought leader and expert in the field, which has been Q Q Q Q Roger Legtenberg is the Chief Executive Officer of PSR Group BV, a specialist niche provider offering services to support the development of (orphan) drugs for patients suffering from rare diseases, as well as providing specialist staffing services to the pharmaceutical industry. The company was acquired by Ergomed PLC in 2017, but continues to operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary under its two brand names: PSR Orphan Experts & PSR Pharma Resource.