From CRO to Sponsor: A Conversation With Michael Inkman

<p>What really changes when you move from the CRO side to the sponsor side and what lessons carry through no matter which side you’re working on?</p><p>In this episode, I talk with Mike Inkman, a clinical data leader with more than 20 years of experience across CROs and sponsors, about his career journey and what crossing the CRO - sponsor divide taught him about leadership, oversight, and risk.</p><p>We explore how early CRO roles shape flexibility and execution, why sponsor-side oversight feels fundamentally different, and how data management often identifies trends and risks others miss.</p><p>Listen as Mike shares candid reflections on leadership growth, transparency, sponsor pressure, and the realities of managing data in complex clinical trials.</p><p><strong>What You’ll Learn</strong></p><ul><li>How many careers in clinical research begin by “falling into” the industry</li></ul><ul><li>Why early CRO roles build adaptability and prioritization skills</li></ul><ul><li>What it’s really like managing multiple studies across multiple sponsors</li></ul><ul><li>How CRO teams balance disclosure with solution-building</li></ul><ul><li>What changes when responsibility shifts from delivery to oversight</li></ul><ul><li>How scope limitations shape CRO data management work</li></ul><ul><li>Why data management often sees trends and risks before others</li></ul><ul><li>How leadership evolves from authority to advocacy</li></ul><ul><li>What Mike would tell his younger self about discretion and resilience</li></ul><p><strong>Quote of the Episode</strong></p><p>“Nobody’s going to be better at overseeing a CRO than someone who has worked at a CRO.”</p><p><strong>Resources</strong></p><p>Follow Mike Inkman on LinkedIn <br>Follow Amanda Cross on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandacross/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">LinkedIn</a> <br>Subscribe to the <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7255662947639652352" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Biometrics Leadership Lab newsletter </a>on LinkedIn </p><p><strong>Please like and subscribe! Thank you for listening!</strong></p>