BOSTON, Jan. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- PAREXEL International Corporation (NASDAQ: PRXL), a leading global biopharmaceutical services provider, today announced that its Chairman and CEO, Josef von Rickenbach, has been named 2013 chairman of the Association of Clinical Research Organizations  (ACRO).

Since its founding in 2002, ACRO has been committed to highlighting CRO expertise in all aspects of the clinical research enterprise. ACRO represents the CRO industry globally to pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies, regulators and legislators, peer associations, academic organizations, patient groups, the media and the public.

"It is an honor to have been selected to lead ACRO's Board of Directors in 2013," said Mr. von Rickenbach. "As incoming chairman, I look forward to continuing the great momentum initiated by my predecessor to help ACRO and its members build and strengthen public understanding and confidence in clinical research. Equally, I welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the association's global stakeholders to promote the strategic value of clinical outsourcing, drive innovation in the drug development process and ensure the safe and ethical development of new medicines and treatments."  

Mr. von Rickenbach has taken PAREXEL from pioneering beginnings as one of the first clinical research organizations in the early 1980s to its place today as one of the top three public biopharmaceutical services providers. As Chairman and CEO of PAREXEL, he was one of the first to define the clinical research services sector. To make clinical development more effective for clients, he conceived a multidisciplinary and systems-oriented approach to outsourced clinical development, bringing efficiencies, scalability, and standardization to the process.

Mr. von Rickenbach previously served as Chair of ACRO in 2005 and is a long-standing member of the ACRO Board of Directors. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the New England Healthcare Institute. He holds a B.S. degree in Business Economics from the School of Business at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School.

About PAREXEL International

PAREXEL International Corporation is a leading global bio/pharmaceutical services organization, providing a broad range of knowledge-based contract research, consulting, and medical communications services to the worldwide pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. Committed to providing solutions that expedite time-to-market and peak-market penetration, PAREXEL has developed significant expertise across the development and commercialization continuum, from drug development and regulatory consulting to clinical pharmacology, clinical trials management, medical education and reimbursement. Perceptive Informatics, Inc., a subsidiary of PAREXEL, provides advanced technology solutions, including medical imaging, to facilitate the clinical development process. Headquartered near Boston, Massachusetts, PAREXEL operates in 73 locations throughout 51 countries around the world, and has approximately 14,000 employees. For more information about PAREXEL International visit www.PAREXEL.com.

This release contains "forward-looking" statements regarding future results and events.   For this purpose, any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements.  Without limiting the foregoing, the words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends," "appears," "estimates," "projects," "will," "would," "could," "should,"  "targets," and similar expressions are also intended to identify forward-looking statements.  The forward-looking statements in this release involve a number of risks and uncertainties.  The Company's actual future results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements contained in this release.  Important factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, risks associated with: actual operating performance; actual expense savings and other operating improvements resulting from recent and anticipated restructurings; the loss, modification, or delay of contracts which would, among other things, adversely impact the Company's recognition of revenue included in backlog; the Company's dependence on certain industries and clients; the Company's ability to win new business, manage growth and costs, and attract and retain employees; the Company's ability to complete additional acquisitions and to integrate newly acquired businesses or enter into new lines of business; the impact on the Company's business of government regulation of the drug,  medical device and biotechnology industry; consolidation within the pharmaceutical industry and competition within the biopharmaceutical services industry; the potential for significant liability to clients and third parties; the potential adverse impact of health care reform; and the effects of exchange rate fluctuations and other international economic, political, and other risks.   Such factors and others are discussed more fully in the section entitled "Risk Factors" of the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2012 as filed with the SEC on November 8, 2012, which "Risk Factors" discussion is incorporated by reference in this press release.  The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the future.  These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's estimates or views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

PAREXEL is a registered trademark and PAREXEL and Perceptive Informatics is a trademark of Perceptive Informatics, Inc. All other names or marks may be registered trademarks or trademarks of PAREXEL International Corporation, Perceptive Informatics, Inc. or their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged.

SOURCE PAREXEL International Corporation