Cassandra Strickland Kennedy has served as Chief Quality, Regulatory Affairs, and Sustainability Officer since May 2023 with oversight of Global Regulatory Compliance, Quality Assurance and Environmental, Social and Governance at Fortrea.
Sandy brings more than three decades of biopharmaceutical industry experience, with a long track record of success in leadership positions within the pharmaceutical and CRO environments. She served as Senior Vice President of Global Regulatory Compliance & Quality Assurance at Labcorp Drug Development from 2018 to 2023, prior to Fortrea’s spinoff from Labcorp. Previously, Sandy was Senior Vice President, Global Compliance & Quality with Quintiles, now part of IQVIA, where she was employed for 20 years. In this position, she was a member of the Enterprise Compliance Office and the Compliance Management Committee of Quintiles. Sandy was a founding member of the Quintiles Data Privacy Board and served as Vice-Chairman of the Ethics Board. Before joining Quintiles in 1997, she was US Quality Assurance Manager at Parexel International. Sandy began her career at Solvay Pharmaceuticals in Research & Development from 1987 to 1994.
Sandy earned her bachelor’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Lipscomb University and is certified in Regulatory Affairs and Healthcare Compliance. She has served on a number of industry associations, including 2022 and 2023 Secretary of Association of Contract Research Organizations (ACRO) and as co-chair of the ACRO Forum with TransCelerate. In addition to her industry leadership role, she has demonstrated her passion for developing and advancing women. She was a founding member and board chair of the Quintiles Women Inspired Network and a member of the Advisory Team at Labcorp’s Women in Leadership. Sandy served on the RTP Board of Directors for the non-profit organization Dress for Success, which works to empower women to achieve economic independence and thrive in work and in life.
