Every year brings new faces, fresh ideas, and inspiring stories to Cytel. In 2025, these colleagues joined us from across the globe, each bringing unique experiences and ambitions. As the year closes, we asked them to share what stood out, what they’ve learned, and how they see their work shaping something bigger. Their reflections tell a story of connection, growth, and purpose.

Joining Cytel: Memorable moments and settling in

For Kasum de Souza Mateus (Senior Biostatistician, FSP) the most memorable part of joining Cytel was simple yet meaningful: “Being able to meet colleagues and mentors in person.” That feeling of connection resonated with many new Cytelians, from Adish Jindal (Senior Recruiter), who described the joy of reconnecting with familiar faces, to Luke Hilliard (Event Manager), who fondly recalls a team meeting: “I really enjoyed the trip to Bruges. It was such a pleasure meeting everyone in person. We came away with some fantastic ideas that we’ve since put into action for our events.”

Others found their defining moments and success in challenges that brought people together. Kanchan Kulkarni (Manager, Accounting) stepped into her role during a major system transition: “One of my most memorable experiences has been leading the Global GL Accounting function across EMEA, APAC, and NA regions during our Oracle ERP transition. It wasn’t just about systems and numbers — it was about connecting people, aligning processes, and building something stronger together.” And for Scott Rogers (CFO), the most powerful moment came during a Town Hall: “I was very moved by the presentation where we heard directly from a patient and understood how our work helped him realize the benefits he was seeing.”

For Macarena Pazos Maidana (Senior Market & Business Development Manager) success came early: “During my third week, I successfully secured a key renewal with a major pharmaceutical client for the East Horizon™ platform. This achievement not only boosted my confidence but also reinforced my belief in the value our solutions bring to the industry.” And Hannes Engberg Raeder (Principal Biostatistician, FSP) found pride in collaboration: “I’m proud of having been able to support one of our partnerships through process improvements that helped strengthen collaboration and overall efficiency.”

Leaning on advice

Of course, starting something new means leaning on advice from colleagues or mentors, and some words of wisdom stuck. Nicole Sheridan (Manager, Talent Management) shared the famous mantra that shaped her approach: “’Do or do not, there is no try.’ It’s simple, but it completely changed how I think about my work and even life outside of work. I realized it’s not about being perfect but it’s about showing up, committing, and seeing things through. That mindset has really helped me take initiative, stay resilient, and turn ideas into results.”

Damian Kowalski (Principal Statistical Programmer, FSP) emphasized collaboration: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Collaboration is our strength.” And Sydney Jenkins (Senior Employee Relations & Engagement Partner) shared a perspective that guides her work: “Trust your logic. That perspective reminds me to approach challenges with a clear, rational mindset, even under pressure!”

Growth and ambition

This year was not only about settling into their role for our new Cytelians, however. It also marked a year of growth and achievements. Adish honed his global recruitment expertise: “One skill I’m particularly proud of developing in 2025 is my ability to manage global recruitment processes more effectively.” Monica Chaudhari (Associate Director, Biostatistics, FSP) shared a technical milestone: “My first study that I got assigned to was already closed. To help myself support the team through database lock, review of final outputs and drafting of the CSR, I created a swimmers plot summarizing all important endpoints on each subject’s trajectory that helped identify major deviations.”

Valeria Duque Mora (Project Coordinator, Resource Management) reflected on teamwork: “My current team has made a real difference in my daily work. They are the foundation of our success, always supporting each other and sharing new information with kindness and collaboration throughout every process.” For Dominika Wisniewska (Senior Statistical Programmer, FSP), the impact was deeply personal: “I am grateful that Cytel gave me the opportunity to work directly for our client where I work on research within rare diseases and neurology diseases. I am particularly interested in neuro because of personal reasons, and I am happy to participate in maybe discovering new treatments.” And Sankhyajit Sengupta (Senior Statistical Programmer, FSP) embraced learning: “In this very short period of time (three months), I’ve had the opportunity to gain exposure to R programming in live studies and also completed required trainings on R, an important step as the industry is moving in this direction.”

Looking ahead, our new colleagues are already thinking about how to make an even bigger impact in 2026. Kanchan hopes to drive automation and efficiency, Luke dreams of organizing a standalone event, and Ye Miao (Associate Director, Biostatistics, FSP) plans to deepen expertise in R programming to contribute more effectively to data analysis and reporting tasks in his FSP role. Sydney aims to strengthen policy awareness and consistency across the organization, while Macarena is focused on enhancing client retention and satisfaction. Each goal reflects a commitment to making an even bigger impact in year two.

Connecting to the bigger picture

Every role at Cytel connects to our mission of improving patient lives. Adish summed it up well: “As a Global Senior Recruiter, I help bring in the talent that powers our mission. Every great hire strengthens our culture, drives innovation, and helps the company achieve its goals globally.” Wyatt Gotbetter (Senior Vice President, Global Head Evidence, Value and Access) described the EVA team’s role: “I like to describe the work of EVA as the essential ‘last mile’ in our client’s drug development journey — after decades of scientific discovery, animal and human trials, and regulatory approvals, we play a vital role in helping ensure patients get access to needed therapies.” And Damian reminded us of the impact behind the data: “Every dataset we program and validate helps ensure reliable insights for clinical trials. It’s amazing to know that our work plays a role in bringing life-saving therapies to patients worldwide.”

The voices of our newest colleagues remind us that Cytel is more than a workplace. It’s a community driven by purpose, collaboration, and innovation. Here’s to their continued success and to another year of making a difference together.

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