Master Entrepreneur

Dennis B. Gillings
Quintiles Transnational Corporation

Description

Quintiles Transnational Corp. is the world’s largest pharmaceutical services company, with offices in 48 countries and 16,000 employees dedicated to helping pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies develop and commercialize new medicines. Dr. Gillings, Quintiles’s founder, now devotes much of his time to strategic planning for continued expansion of Quintiles, particularly in Japan and Asia Pacific. He also is very active in Quintiles’ PharmaBio Development group, which focuses on value-added entrepreneurial growth through partnerships and alliances between Quintiles and leading pharma and biotech companies.

Reasons for winning the award

Having evolved from university professor to internationally known business leader, Dennis Gillings is a model entrepreneur who constantly seeks new challenges. He has shown unsurpassed leadership and entrepreneurial spirit in driving Quintiles’ success, from the company’s early founding days in 1982 with 10 employees to its current global presence with over 16,000 employees. In April 2003, Gillings' Pharma Services Holding Inc. reached an agreement to buy Durham-based Quintiles Transnational Corp. for $14.50 per share, or $1.7 billion. Gillings will take Durham-based Quintiles private as a result of the transaction.

Quote

"I was both delighted and astonished to receive the award. It is a particular honor to be the first recipient. CED is making an enormous contribution to entrepreneurism in the Triangle and I relish being a part of the excitement generated." -- Dennis B. Gillings, Founder and Chairman

History

Dr. Gillings received a Diploma in Mathematical Statistics from Cambridge University in 1967 and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Exeter, England, in 1972. He served for more than 15 years as a professor at UNC-Chapel Hill. During his tenure as professor of biostatistics at UNC-Chapel Hill, Gillings began providing statistical consulting and data management services to pharmaceutical clients in 1974. Quintiles arose from Dr. Gilling’s consulting activities and was incorporated in 1982 with 10 employees. After incorporating Quintiles in 1982, Quintiles became a publicly traded company in 1994 (Nasdaq: QTRN). In May 2001, UNC-Chapel Hill conferred an honorary Doctor of Science degree to Dr. Gillings.

Photo courtesy of BP Studios.

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