The Emmes Group has appointed Dr. Rama Kondru as Chief Executive Officer, as the company looks to advance next-generation clinical trials through scientific excellence, technology, and artificial intelligence.
Based in Rockville, Maryland, The Emmes Group said the appointment reflects the Board of Directors’ confidence in Dr. Kondru’s ability to drive innovation and operational excellence while strengthening the company’s focus on improving the quality, speed, and outcomes of clinical trials.
Dr. Kondru joined The Emmes Group in 2024 and most recently served as CEO of Veridix, the company’s AI, technology, and data sciences business. He now takes on the CEO role at an important stage in the company’s evolution, as The Emmes Group combines nearly five decades of scientific expertise with AI and modern technology to accelerate biomedical discovery.
With a career spanning technology-driven innovation, scientific expertise, and global operations, Dr. Kondru brings experience in scaling technology platforms and building businesses focused on accelerating clinical development and improving patient outcomes.
Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Rama Kondru said, “It is a privilege to lead The Emmes Group at such an exciting time for our industry,” said Dr. Kondru. “For nearly five decades, Emmes has stood behind some of the most important public health efforts, from the earliest NIH vaccine and infectious disease programs to the trials that helped the world respond to COVID-19. Building on that legacy, we have a unique opportunity to combine AI, technology, and clinical expertise to transform how trials are designed and conducted. Together with our customers, we will help bring life-changing therapies to patients faster while creating long-term value for customers, employees, and investors.”
Before joining The Emmes Group, Dr. Kondru served as Co-CEO of Medidata Solutions, where he helped scale the company’s cloud-based clinical development technology platform. He brings 25 years of experience spanning pharmaceuticals, healthcare technology, data science, and academia.
Earlier in his career, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Janssen Americas (Johnson & Johnson) and as Vice President and Chief Information Officer for R&D and Innovation at Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices. He has also held leadership positions at UCB Pharma and F. Hoffmann-La Roche.
Dr. Kondru earned his bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Bombay) and his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, where he also completed postdoctoral research. He has additionally served as an Adjunct Professor at Duke University.
The Emmes Group is a global, technology-enabled clinical services and data solutions organization focused on advancing public health and supporting biopharmaceutical innovation. Founded more than 49 years ago, the company operates through businesses including Emmes Government CRO, OptymEdge, Essex, and Emmes Biopharma, providing research services, AI-powered solutions, and scientific expertise to government agencies, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies worldwide.
