Howie Watkins

Patient Recruitment Planning Manager @ICON plc

Teignmouth, GB

In my current role, I lead the design and delivery of patient recruitment and retention strategies for complex, multicentre, multinational clinical studies—ensuring inclusivity, feasibility, and effectiveness across diverse populations and geographies.Key responsibilities and contributions- Define and implement patient recruitment and retention strategies tailored to study needs, sponsor expectations, and regional realities- Manage recruitment and retention across multiple global studies, with an emphasis on continuity, coordination, and outcome tracking- Promote representative research by increasing access and participation among socio-economically and socio-ethnically diverse populations- Develop training tools and resources for internal teams and sites, supporting Patient Recruitment Solutions and broader Patient and Site Services- Serve as subject matter expert on patient travel, reimbursement, and the practical burdens of participation—developing scalable solutions to reduce barriers- Champion the adoption of new digital collaboration tools and agile working practices to improve communication, transparency, and delivery across global teams- Coach and support junior colleagues, creating space for learning and growth through a structured coaching model- Share expertise across teams and studies to increase delivery capacity and cross-project resilience- Build and maintain trusted sponsor relationships, aligning strategic priorities with operational delivery.

University of Portsmouth

Bsc. (hons) 2i, Biological Science

Burlington Danes School

General Certificate of Education (Ordinary and Advanced Level), Various

University of Exeter

PGCE, Secondary science (Biology)