WILMINGTON, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Highlighting its commitment to employees and clients, Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD) today announced that Training magazine has named the global contract research organization to the 2012 Training Top 125 list of businesses excelling in employee development.

“The best learning and development organizations, like PPD, support business initiatives tactically and help drive strategic change,” said Lorri Freifeld, editor-in-chief of Training magazine. PPD was recognized during an awards ceremony at the Training 2012 conference February 13 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

PPD’s strategic approach to employee development is designed to drive employee engagement, enhance expertise and deliver client value. PPD training initiatives leverage the latest thinking in learning methodology through a broad array of programs for employees across the global business, from new hires to veteran staff, from generalists to highly trained specialists.

Key to PPD's success in employee training is an effective partnership between its human resources team and its technology, innovation and performance (TIP) group, which integrates training, process improvement, information technology and business analytics.

“Our integrated structure is unique in the CRO industry in that it provides a holistic and integrated approach to continuous improvement,” said Mike Wilkinson, executive vice president and chief information officer for PPD. “We train and develop staff, measure performance against standards, optimize processes, innovate technology and measure post-improvement performance – then initiate additional cycles of continuous improvement.”

PPD’s innovation in employee development includes:

The clinical foundation program, the flagship training program for clinical research associates (CRAs) that addresses theoretical knowledge and practical application, followed by performance-based assessment. In 2011, CenterWatch cited strong CRA training programs as one reason for PPD’s top ranking among CROs in its global survey of clinical research sites. PPD® 3D, a virtual, collaborative environment featuring user-customized avatars that is designed to improve the cost-effectiveness, speed and quality of clinical trial training. PPD adapted its clinical foundation program for the virtual training world, collaborating with ProtonMedia on its ProtoSphere platform. PPD 3D won a Microsoft 2011 Life Sciences Innovation Award. The global leadership program, which develops the strategic and global skills of rising company leaders over a six-month period, increasing their effectiveness in current roles and honing the skills required of future PPD executives. Focus areas include financial acumen, strategic leadership, negotiating skills and personal development planning.

The Training Top 125 list is determined by assessing a range of qualitative and quantitative factors, including financial investment in employee development, the scope of development programs and how closely such development efforts are linked to business goals and objectives.

Training magazine is a 48-year-old professional development magazine written for training, human resources and business management professionals in all industries who advocate for training and workforce development as a business tool.

About PPD

PPD is a leading global contract research organization providing drug discovery, development and lifecycle management services. Our clients and partners include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, academic and government organizations. With offices in 45 countries and more than 11,500 professionals worldwide, PPD applies innovative technologies, therapeutic expertise and a commitment to quality to help clients and partners accelerate the delivery of safe and effective therapeutics and maximize the returns on their R&D investments. For more information, visit http://www.ppdi.com.

Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations and assumptions, including statements, expectations and assumptions about the PPD employee training and development initiatives and the Training Top 125 awards, contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Although PPD attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based and could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Other important factors which could cause future results to differ materially include the following: competition in the outsourcing industry; the ability to attract, integrate and retain key personnel, including a new CEO; risks associated with and dependence on strategic relationships; rapid technological advances that make our services less competitive; overall global economic conditions; economic conditions, research and development spending, and outsourcing trends in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and government-sponsored research sectors; consolidation in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries; PPD’s ability to win new business; loss, delay or modification of large contracts; higher-than-expected cancellation rates; the rate of conversion of backlog into revenue; actual operating performance; risks associated with acquisitions and investments; compliance with drug development regulations; changes in the regulation of the drug development process; and the ability to control SG&A spending. PPD assumes no obligation and expressly disclaims any duty to update these forward-looking statements in the future, except as required by applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing PPD’s estimates or views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.

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PPD Recognized for Outstanding Employee Training and Development