Velocity Clinical Research appoints Justin Starzyk as Chief Executive Officer

• Justin brings more than two decades of experience as a healthcare operator, with a track record of scaling multisite services businesses and delivering strong outcomes for investors
• Paul Evans continues as Chair of the Board to support Velocity's growth strategy as it enters its next phase
• The appointment reinforces Velocity’s mission to improve the clinical research process to accelerate the delivery of new therapies and provide exceptional care to the communities we serve
  

DURHAM, N.C., Sept. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Velocity Clinical Research ("Velocity"), the world's largest organization of fully-owned and integrated clinical research sites, today announced that it has appointed Justin Starzyk as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Evans, PhD, will continue in his role as Chair of the Board.

Justin joins Velocity with more than two decades of healthcare operating experience, including senior leadership roles at large, multisite healthcare services platforms, where he drove significant organic growth. Most recently, Justin was President of United Urology Group, a leading urology management services organization supporting a network of roughly 300 physicians and advanced practice providers with 2,000 teammates across 100 locations. Under his leadership, the business experienced substantial revenue and profitability growth before being acquired by OneOncology and Cencora, with Justin helping lead the organization through the transitions. Earlier in his career, he spent nearly a decade at DaVita in a range of operating and strategic growth-focused leadership roles, consistently delivering above-market organic growth. Justin has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, and began his career at Abbott Laboratories / AbbVie in global pharmaceutical R&D.

The appointment follows an extensive search process and is a reflection of the company’s long term succession planning. Paul will continue in his role as Velocity's Chair, working closely with Justin to support the company's growth strategy. The transition reflects a natural evolution of Velocity's leadership, and the Board is confident that this is the right time for the transition, given Justin’s caliber and track record.

Justin Starzyk, newly appointed CEO of Velocity Clinical Research, commented: “Having started my career in pharmaceutical R&D, this feels like a homecoming; I’m excited to reconnect with drug development and clinical trials research through Velocity, which has built a differentiated, integrated site model. What drew me here is Velocity’s mission-driven approach and the degree of operational integration and technology Velocity has already built into its site network – it’s rare to see, and it’s exactly what gives us the opportunity to earn the trust of sponsors, patients and their families day-after-day.

“My focus is to build on this strong foundation and accelerate growth by broadening the range of research and centralized services we bring to our partners, with the goal of improving the clinical research process to accelerate the delivery of new therapies and provide exceptional care to the communities we serve. I look forward to working closely with the Velocity team, partners and clients in the weeks ahead, and to growing the excellent platform Paul and the team have established.”

Paul Evans, Chair of Velocity Clinical Research, added: “Leading Velocity has been the privilege of my career. Together, we built the world's leading integrated site organization, and I'm proud of what this team has accomplished for patients, sponsors, and sites. Justin is exactly the right leader to further Velocity's mission and lead its next chapter, and I'm looking forward to continuing in my position as Chair, working alongside him and the Board as we build on the strong progress to date.”

Mike Mortimer, Managing Partner, and Edward de Nor, Partner at GHO Capital, said: “Justin's track record of scaling healthcare services businesses makes him exceptionally well suited to lead Velocity's next stage of growth, and we’re confident his operating discipline will strengthen Velocity's position as the leading integrated site organization globally. We remain committed to supporting that growth, whether organically or through new strategic partnerships, and we want to thank Paul for his leadership in building Velocity into the organization it is today. We look forward to supporting Justin, alongside Paul as Chair of the Board, as Velocity continues to set new standards for the clinical trial industry."

About Velocity Clinical Research

Velocity Clinical Research is the world's leading organization of fully-owned and integrated research sites. The company partners with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to research new drugs, medical devices, and diagnostics that could improve human health and wellbeing. Velocity's unified research site solutions deliver the right patients, investigators, and research staff for clinical trials across the U.S. and Europe. For more information, visit velocityclinical.com.