PPD Commended for Excellence in Employee Training

WILMINGTON, N.C. --(Business Wire)--

Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD) today announced that Training magazine has named the global contract research organization to the 2013 Training Top 125 list of businesses excelling in employee development. Making the list for the second consecutive year, PPD was recognized during an awards ceremony Feb. 18 at the Training 2013 conference and expo in Orlando, Fla.

PPD designs, develops and implements a wide range of learning and performance programs to meet biopharmaceutical clients' specific needs in the endeavor of delivering new, life-changing medical treatments. PPD provides the proper foundation and ongoing training throughout the clinical research process to ensure that clinical trials are conducted ethically, efficiently and with the highest standards of data quality, while ensuring patient safety.

"At PPD, we work to create, adapt and implement innovative approaches to training design, development, delivery and measurement," said Mike Wilkinson, PPD's chief information officer and executive vice president. "Through world-class training, we empower our employees and deliver value for our biopharmaceutical clients. We aim to improve consistency in our learning approach, sharing knowledge, experiences and best practices, with the ultimate goal of improving performance across the organization for the benefit of clinical research."

PPD's approach to employee training is built on a strategic collaboration between its human resources team and technology, innovation and performance (TIP) group, which incorporates training, process improvement, information technology and business analytics. Training practices blend novel concepts of learning methodology with a range of resources used across the globe to educate all employees - from onboarding new hires to providing fresh insights and skills to experienced staff.

The Training Top 125 ranking is based on benchmarking statistics, such as: total training budget; percentage of payroll; number of training hours per employee program; goals, evaluation, measurement and workplace surveys; hours of training per employee annually; and detailed formal programs. Training magazine has been a leading resource for innovative learning and development information for the past 49 years.

"Each year, Training Top 125 applicants raise the bar with the innovation, excellence and effectiveness of their training programs," said Lorri Freifeld, editor-in-chief of Training magazine. "PPD demonstrated performance-driven training responses to significant challenges and results that tied directly to corporate strategic goals, which helped to earn the organization its position on the 2013 Training Top 125."

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 46 countries and more than 12,500 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 www.ppdi.com.

Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations and assumptions, including statements, expectations and assumptions about PPD's Training Top 125 award, 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 that 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 our chairman and CEO; 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 and dependence on strategic relationships; risks associated with acquisitions and investments; the ability to control SG&A spending; compliance with drug development regulations; and changes in the regulation of the drug development process. 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.