1) The Snapshot

Client: Large, international Contract Research Organization (CRO)
Role: Enterprise-wide Laboratory Animal & Animal Welfare Executive (U.S. scope, location-flexible)
Reporting Line: Chief Scientific Officer
Timing: Post-acquisition integration phase
Constraints: Role did not previously exist, extremely limited talent pool, high travel expectations, multi-site stakeholder alignment, advanced laboratory animal medicine credentials

2) The Situation

Following multiple acquisitions of in vivo research facilities, the client faced increasing operational complexity across animal welfare standards, veterinary governance, and site-level practices. Each facility operated with legacy SOPs, policies, and cultures.

While the system was not “broken,” senior leadership recognized growing risk as the organization scaled:

• Inconsistent standards of care and humane endpoints
  
• Variability in veterinary authority across sites
  
• Potential reputational and regulatory exposure as a CRO and service provider
  

The challenge was that the organization had never had this role before — and therefore had not fully articulated the problem it needed to solve.

3) The Target Profile

Core non-negotiables:

• Significant experience with non-human primates, plus mixed-species oversight
  
• Demonstrated impact on animal welfare program development and harmonization
  
• Advanced laboratory animal medicine credentials
  
  • DACLAM (U.S.) or equivalent (ECLAM accepted as analogous)
    
• Prior CRO experience
  
• Credibility to be viewed as a peer-level expert by Attending Veterinarians and site leaders
  

Leadership traits that mattered:

• Influence-driven leadership rather than top-down control
  
• Ability to navigate “touchy” post-acquisition dynamics
  
• Skill in aligning site-level priorities with enterprise-wide standards
  
• Comfort with extensive national and international travel
  

Deal-breakers:

• Purely site-level leadership experience
  
• Inflexibility around travel
  
• Command-and-control management style
  

4) Our Approach

This engagement was run as a strategic advisory + executive search hybrid.

Role definition:
 The role initially existed only in loose conceptual terms. RPM ReSearch:

• Identified the organizational gap
  
• Proposed the role concept (initially framed as a Chief Animal Welfare Officer)
  
• Built the job description from scratch, including responsibilities, success metrics, and long-term value to the organization
  

Stakeholder alignment:
 Worked directly with the C-suite and senior scientific leadership to:

• Clarify scope
• Align expectations across acquired entities
• Position the role as a forward-looking investment rather than a reactionary fix
  

Outreach positioning:
The role was marketed as “The Super Vet” — the Attending Veterinarian of all Attending Veterinarians.

This framing created immediate interest, with detailed clarification handled through in-depth candidate conversations.

Why this, why now:
 Senior candidates responded to:

• The strategic nature of the role
  
• The ability to influence animal welfare standards at a national level
  
• The opportunity to shape a function that did not previously exist
  

5) Proof of Work

• Identified 75 potential candidates across the U.S. and internationally
  
• Shortlisted 30, formally submitted 12
  
• Identified 9 highly viable candidates meeting the full criteria
  
• Began submitting candidates within 3 weeks of search launch
  
• Final candidate identified within 4 months
  
• Interview process spanned 6 weeks, involving national and international stakeholders
  

Assessment rigor:

• Deep-dive technical and behavioral interviews
  
• Evaluation of leadership philosophy and post-acquisition sensitivity
  
• Harmonized interview framework with 25 structured questions
  

Extensive reference checks, critical at this level