Panthera strengthens commercial team with appointment of two former NIHR executives

Preston based Panthera Biopartners has announced the appointment of Amy Barratt as associate director of business development and Karl Davison as business development manager.

Both join Panthera from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), further strengthening the company’s rapidly expanding commercial team.

Panthera is the UK's largest independent site management organisation that recruits patients and runs clinical trials on behalf of pharma.

In their new roles, Amy and Karl will support Panthera’s continued growth and developing deeper collaboration between the private sector and the NIHR, as demand for Panthera’s services continues to accelerate.

Amy brings a strong combination of clinical and commercial experience to Panthera.

She began her career as a diabetes research nurse before progressing into senior operational and account management roles at the NIHR, where she worked closely with pharmaceutical, biotech, and healthcare organisations to optimise study delivery and performance.

 Karl joins Panthera with more than a decade of experience at the NIHR, where he held senior business development roles supporting the growth of the UK’s life sciences and clinical research sector.

During his tenure, he led high-value partnerships with pharmaceutical, biotech, CRO, and government stakeholders, helping to drive increased study placements and commercial investment into the UK.

Chris Dodd, Panthera’s chief commercial officer said: “ We are delighted to welcome Amy and Karl to Panthera.

"Their extensive experience within the clinical trials sector, combined with their deep understanding of both public and private clinical research environments, will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our relationship with the NIHR and work collaboratively to keep improving the UK’s clinical research offering as we grow the business and advance our expansion plans.”

 Founded in 2019, Panthera has rapidly established itself as the leading SMO in the UK, working closely with ten of the world’s top twelve pharmaceutical companies and seven leading CROs.

In 2025, Panthera secured investment from leading private equity firm LDC to support continued growth and enhanced clinical capabilities.

This investment is accelerating Panthera’s expansion across the UK and Europe, as the company advances its mission to deliver faster, more efficient patient recruitment through its growing network of dedicated clinical trial sites.