Leading Through Change: Zhong Yao's Journey at ICON in China

Zhong Yao's career in clinical research spans over two decades, with leadership roles across major CROs and a commitment to advancing healthcare in China. His journey with ICON is one of return and renewal. He first joined in 2007, left for other senior roles, and ultimately came back to lead the newly combined organisation in China.

Zhong's connection to ICON began in 2007, during a period of rapid growth in the global CRO industry. At the time, he was drawn to ICON's established systems, strong training frameworks and people-focused culture. "ICON stood out as a global CRO that truly invested in its people," he says. "The structure for development, the emphasis on quality and compliance. It left a lasting impression."

The combination of legacy organisations within ICON brought both challenge and opportunity. For Zhong, the integration process was about more than aligning systems. It was about uniting teams around a shared purpose. "We embraced the global theme of 'Stronger Together' and made it real in China," he says. "My role was to act as a connector, across functions, geographies and mindsets, to ensure we were working toward the same goals."

Over the past decade, China has evolved from a peripheral player to a strategic hub in global clinical research. Zhong sees several strengths that make ICON China a valuable partner in international studies. "China has a well-developed clinical trial infrastructure, a large patient pool and increasingly competitive timelines for study start-up," he explains. "This allows us to support faster first patient in and last patient in milestones for global programmes."

At the heart of ICON's approach in China is a commitment to quality. "We don't see quality as a milestone to reach. It's part of our daily execution," Zhong says. "Regulatory compliance, data authenticity and inspection readiness are non-negotiables."

Talent development is central to Zhong's leadership philosophy. "ICON has a great training system, and we encourage our teams to take full advantage of resources like Cornerstone and internal learning programmes."

Looking to the future, Zhong sees growing demand for global CRO services in China. Despite funding challenges in the biotech sector, innovation continues to rise. "Many Chinese biotechs still have strong pipelines and global ambitions," he says. "And multinational pharma companies are expanding their R&D presence here. A sign of confidence in China's long-term potential."