Skip to main content
Parexel
0
Search Jobs

Search Jobs

Unit
View Remote Jobs View All Jobs

Meet Diana, Associate Director, Supply & Logistics Portfolio Management

Diana, a Columbian woman with long brown hair is wearing a white blouse. She is looking directly at the camera with a subtle smile and warm expression. It's a professional headshot with natural lighting against a neutral background.

Diana's path from Project Specialist to Associate Director spans continents and cultures, but one thing remains constant: her commitment to leading With Heart™. Discover how her approach to team leadership ensures that in clinical trial logistics, the focus remains firmly on improving patient lives. 

Diana's story further explores her philosophy on effective leadership, her personal mission to give back through mentoring and participating in Business Resource Groups, and her excitement about Parexel's evolving culture of innovation, where challenging the status quo is becoming the norm.

Hi, I'm Diana, Associate Director, Supply & Logistics Portfolio Management at Parexel. I first joined Parexel in 2015 in Argentina, then moved to Germany in 2019 and rejoined Parexel in Berlin in 2022 in my current role. I lead a team of 10 wonderful logistics experts, focusing on genuine connection, feedback, and bringing out everyone's best.

What's your Parexel story?

I found my first Parexel position in 2015 through a Google search, believe it or not! While finishing my master's in logistics and supply chain in Argentina, I typed "logistics, English, project management, international company, high values" into Google, and the first opening that appeared was a Project Specialist role at Parexel. 

Though I started in Project Planning and Support as a project specialist, my background was in Logistics, so I was always looking at the logistics department. I spoke openly with my line manager at the time, about this interest, and she recommended me to today’s Global Head of Clinical Trial Supply and Logistics (CTS&L) Project Management Delivery. I got the job and became a Logistics Leader in Argentina.

Love led me to Berlin, where a new chapter began both personally and professionally. At that time, Parexel was going through structural changes, especially in Germany, so moving my position wasn't possible. But my manager at that moment promised to let me know if a vacancy opened later with the right skillset needs.

Two years passed, and I was made aware of the option position in case I would be interested in applying. I was immediately happy and excited about the possibility of being back because of the culture, the supportive line managers, the flexibility, and the trust that Parexel offers. I immediately applied and fortunately, I was selected for the job.

Throughout my journey, I've only had fantastic line managers who supported my growth and channeled my enthusiasm and passion to align with Parexel's values.

What does your Supply & Logistics team do?

My team of experts supports two main areas:

  • Logistics from hospital to laboratory: Managing end-to-end logistics journey for patient samples. Ensuring samples collected are properly sent to different laboratories for testing. This process demands precision, speed, and compliance, as these (precious) samples are vital for evaluating treatment efficacy and safety.
  • Supply from strategic sourcing to the hospital: We oversee the full supply chain of IMP, AuxIMP, medical devices, and auxiliary materials. This can include sourcing, packing, labeling, and delivering essential items to clinical hospitals. Every delivery must be accurate, timely, and aligned with strict regulatory standards to ensure trial continuity and patient safety.

Within both service lines, I have a range of roles based on seniority levels: Specialists, Coordinators and Supply and Logistics Project Leaders.

Diana with colleagues at a team meeting with Parexel CEO, and a team lunch in Berlin.

How is the team culture?

In Logistics, we work with the "series of rights": The right product at the right time, in the right place for the right people. Though many things can go wrong (carrier issues, stock shortages, customs surprises), we always support each other in finding solutions.

The second aspect I really appreciate is openness. We communicate directly and, in a solution-oriented way: "This is hard, I don't think we'll make it… unless we change the strategy in such and such way…" This transparency and mindset create trust and allow us to solve problems together.

How do the Supply & Logistics team members connect their work to Parexel's Patients First core value?

Parexel and my department have connected their employees well to our core value of Patients First. My team naturally prioritizes patients in every interaction. When discussing issues, they immediately address patient impact first: "We have a problem, but no patient will be impacted," or "There's a risk for randomization next week, we need to brainstorm solutions."

They're highly conscious of the impact on patients. Most people in my team have told me that one of the reasons they chose Parexel, apart from the culture and flexibility, is that they know their work creates a positive impact in patients' lives. This is one of the biggest drivers for many people to choose Parexel.

Managers Matter at Parexel

What do you see as good line management?

That's a beautiful question. I find that good line management and leadership are big topics that you never stop learning about.

  • The courage to be vulnerable: When you show your humanity, it opens a trust environment for good communication and transparency. Vulnerability invites openness, honesty, and real conversations.
  • Put the team first: Prioritizing the growth and development of the team above your own needs. True leadership means lifting others.
  • See the superpower in every individual: I believe everyone has a unique gift. The real challenge, and joy, is helping them discover it, nurture it, and letting it shine. When people know they are really being seen, their motivation becomes real and unstoppable.
  • Creating community: We're not just boss and employees, we're a team. To foster that, I try to create intentional spaces focused on connection. Examples like starting with simple, fun questions in meetings to break the ice. Over time, it became natural. Now we laugh, joke and thrive together.
Diana with colleagues including Parexel's CEO, at the global submit of women, and boxing with a Parexel shirt.

How do you feel supported by Parexel in your line management role?

The logistics team managers meet regularly to share operational things, strategy, and insights. We learn from each other, from different cultures, or lessons learned from projects.

Also, when I first started as a line manager, Parexel's "New Manager Training" taught me important topics like giving feedback and coaching. 

Giving Back and Personal Mission

You're involved in many voluntary activities at Parexel and outside of Parexel. Why do you do all of that?

I'll tell you the story of my why. It starts sad, but I'm not sad and I don't want you to be sad. My parents died when I was little - my mother when I was 12 and my father a year after. I was extremely blessed to have relatives and friends who supported me, and I was financially okay. To cope with that difficult situation, I developed the goal to always look forward and get things done. In the process, I not only started enjoying life and learning, but also opened my horizon. I've lived in many countries, the UK, the US, Argentina, Germany, and I'm Colombian - and besides Spanish, I learned English, Italian, and German. This expanded my mind and exposed me to different cultures. It also made me feel incredibly blessed for the opportunities I've had, because many orphans don't have even a percentage of the opportunities I was blessed with. From that comes a deep desire to give back to the world.

I started with voluntary work, mostly with children and orphans. Then I expanded to creating ideas, making people talk to each other and helping them learn and connect. About three years ago, I started mentoring for free. People started asking to pay me for coaching, so I got approval from my bosses at Parexel to do a couple of hours per week of paid coaching as a side activity. This also brings back impactful coaching abilities and experience in my role as Line Manager.

Images of Diana with the Germany Business Resource Group

Since returning to Parexel, I've wanted to give back to the Parexel community by joining groups like the Germany Inclusion Business Resource Group and HOLA, Parexel's Hispanic Business Resource Group.

I'm also teaching at the Parexel Academy because I enjoy sharing knowledge, especially about clinical trial logistics. I bring my logistics and business perspective, making them laugh and helping them connect while learning.

I do coaching, mentoring, boxing for social causes, and create content and tools to connect people. I give back to the world in ways that match my values and experience.

Future Outlook

What excites you most when you think of the future at Parexel?

What excites you most when you think of the future at Parexel?

What excites me most right now is the change in mindset I'm witnessing across Parexel. There's a critical thinking revolution happening—not just in my team, but throughout the entire logistics department and possibly the whole organization.

People are no longer accepting "we've always done it this way." Instead, they're:

  • Challenging established processes
  • Generating innovative ideas
  • Bringing practical solutions to the table
  • Focusing on how we can better serve patients

It feels like an awakening. We're now capturing this energy by creating structured innovation funnels and prioritizing initiatives in ways we never did before.

I'm incredibly hopeful about our direction, even though I recognize the reality: this transformation will take time and involve necessary bureaucratic steps. But that's appropriate when our work ultimately impacts patient lives. The most important thing is that we've started this journey, and I'm confident the impact will be tremendous.

Explore Parexel

Featured Jobs

View All Jobs

Sign up for our Talent Community

Sign up and we’ll reach out with job alerts when positions that match your career interests become available. We’ll also share periodic updates about the latest company news and events.

Back
to top