I know it sounds cliché, but it does feel like just yesterday that we embarked on this journey called Impact Pharmaceutical Services. Yet we find ourselves celebrating 10 years of success, continued growth, and a history of providing excellent service to more than 150 different clients! Ironically, our 10th year has been marked by re-acquiring the original 4,500 or so square feet of space, just across the hall from our current main suite, that was the original home of the company back in 2009. It was in this space that we assembled our first IND for a client. We don't use the word "assemble" anymore, but that was the appropriate term for the exercise at the time. Printed documents (yes, on paper) were placed in color-coded ACCO binders and shipped (in triplicate) to the main document room at FDA via UPS (FedEx was too expensive). Today, of course, we have an incredible Regulatory Operations group that "publishes" INDs in electronic format and shoots the electrons through the internet (securely, of course) to the FDA for review. That's but a single example of how things have changed dramatically over the past 10 years!

I am extremely grateful to the colleagues who occupied that original 4,500 square feet of space with me in 2009 and 2010, and helped mold IMPACT into what it is today. Many of these "old-timers," like Tim, Kim, Nancy, and Jenny are highlighted elsewhere in this Newsletter. Special thanks as well to my wife Lauren who hired us into her company, Lauren Cierpial, Inc., to begin with! The official name change to Impact Pharmaceutical Services in July of 2009 is what we celebrate as our official anniversary. Other company names considered at the time included Solstice, Conexium, Lodestar, and Vantagen - go figure. It's hard to imagine our company referred to by any other name than IMPACT!

There are certainly many stories to be told of company successes (and set-backs) over the past 10 years, as one would expect. I could rattle off statistics about the expansion of our client base (phenomenal), or how many important drugs we helped get approved and to the patients who need them, or our repeat business rate (again, phenomenal and probably the most meaningful measure of client satisfaction!). We've done outstanding work since Day 1 and we've built a great reputation for it - for that I'm eternally thankful and extremely proud. But when I think about what has been most satisfying success metric for me, it's the number of new scientists that we have developed and continue to develop as pharmaceutical professionals and colleagues. It's been a pleasure working with everyone who has been a part of the Impact journey thus far, and I look forward to meeting and working with those to come in the future!

Wow, I can't believe it's been 10 years! I guess the time has flown by and that's reflective of my love for this work, my respect for my colleagues, and how much I learn from them every day. Mark is just beyond awesome to work with and grow a company with, and I have been blessed to develop some wonderful relationships and life-long friendships while working here. Obviously we have grown quite a bit, which is solely due to the stellar work that our staff provides to our clients on a daily basis, and I am very proud of that. Simply put, this is a top-notch group of scientists.

I am so proud of how many compounds we have helped our clients get approved and bring to market. The number of approvals we've been involved with across various regions is a truly amazing feat given the size of our group, and these are compounds that help patients who are in need. That's so important because, at the end of the day, we should never lose sight of the fact that patients who need new and better treatment options is what we are all about. We have also built a super-talented Regulatory Operations group that kills it on a daily basis. Finally, hiring the "next generation" of brilliant scientists into this company and seeing them grow and flourish is so rewarding and simply fun to watch, and I love drawing off of their energy and spirit.

I also could not be happier by this staff's relentless desire to do more than "just project work". This group is highly involved in so many charities and local community initiatives. It's inspiring. I am also so happy that we have a staff that likes to have fun. Work can be a challenge and stressful (and our work is important), so you have to be able to crack a joke and laugh like heck every once in a while - that's my MO.

Her Journey:
IMPACT started as all small companies do, with just a few people who did all the work and all sorts of other tasks to get the company off the ground.

In that first year we had no office space. I remember Tim and I having multi-hour client roundtables from his home office (with the cat) and Jenny keeping us fed. It was fun! We were all giddy about starting something new.

By the end of the first year (2009), there were
5 people. Each year we grew- more work, more clients, more people. First we started by "getting the band back together" and getting office space in the same building that we had been in as Lineberry Research Associates (something old, something new- as the saying goes).

IMPACT has continued to grow each year since. We have never needed a Business Development person or full-time BD effort in the entire 10 yrs. That's incredible! It is because of the great work that we do and the service that we give to our clients.

IMPACT was built on the reputation of Mark and Tim and the Regulatory Affairs & medical writing group at Lineberry. We were known as "Lineberry II" for the first couple of years. Soon enough the Pharma world began to know the name "IMPACT". We were no longer explaining who we were. Now at 10yrs, IMPACT has made its own reputation as a premier medical writing CRO known for our experience, integrity, quality, and commitment.

IMPACT's success starts with our founders- Mark and Tim. They lead with integrity, demand the best of themselves, enjoy the work, and care about their people even more than their clients. And, they have never lost sight of the fact that you can do great work in jeans and sneakers!

What IMPACT loves about Kim:
"Kim is such a strong analytical thinker and she lifts every document she touches to the next level with strong technical arguments, accurate conclusions, and consistency throughout!"

"Kim makes me laugh! She's as sharp as a tack but doesn't take herself too seriously."

"Kim is consistently eager to engage intellectually, talk through or help others understand any topic that comes up in our work, and brainstorm solutions, all in a fun way that makes me want to keep the conversation going even after we've covered the issue at hand."

From the COO - "I have been honored to have worked with Kim for over 14 years. She is a super-talented scientist and writer. No one works harder than her and no one inspires me more than her. Our success here at IMPACT is a direct result of Kim's dedication to this company. She is the consummate professional and a wonderful colleague and friend, and everyone at this company is better for her being here (even though she is a University of Kentucky basketball fan)."

Her superpower:
"Kim is the consummate mentor and project manager. She is truly excellent at analyzing data, communicating messages, and teaching new writers how to do the same. Her project management skills are out of this world!"

"Kim is great at creating vital and complete best practice/guidance documents."

Her Journey:
I was lucky #7 to join IMPACT in July 2010 and have been blessed to be a part of IMPACT's incredible growth over the past 9 years. While our little IMPACT family has grown over the years and branched into a multitude of indications and sponsors, I am continually amazed by the gifted group of people I have the privilege of collaborating with on a daily basis. The cumulative brilliance of this collection of folks is trulymind-blowing and allows us to shine in the collaborative efforts and project work we execute. Joining IMPACT provided me with the wonderful training to build a strong professional foundation, and the people here have provided me the support and mentorship to continually flourish in my career over the years. I am grateful each and every day to be a part of IMPACT and look forward to another 10 years as part of this team!

What IMPACT loves about Jenny:
"Jenny's superpower is her ability to remain calm and focused in the midst of a storm and still take the time to really understand the other person's point of view."

"Jenny is simply the kindest person I've ever known, and she takes time as a Senior Reviewer to mentor as she reviews, giving feedback to make the writing as concise and consistent as possible but also letting the writer find his/her own voice."

"Jenny is one of the kindest people I know! She brings out the best in me, encourages me in my strengths, and supports me when I need help."

"Jenny is a dream manager! She is crazy-smart, incredibly knowledgeable about the field of medical writing, and is a kind and compassionate person. She leads without micromanaging, provides unwavering support (professionally and personally), and wants to contribute to each member of IMPACT achieving his/her full potential."

"She somehow manages to be one of the warmest people I know while maintaining a sharp sense of humor, and she brings this great attitude to work every day!"

From the COO - "I convinced (pleaded?) Jenny to join me in this journey at nearly the outset, and she has been an integral part of our company's success. She is a wonderfully talented writer and line and project manager, and she is simply one of the most caring and compassionate people on this earth, which our clients and employees (and our family) see on a daily basis - she is amazing. Plus, she puts up with my daily childish antics and she allows me to watch the Pittsburgh Penguins during the hockey season every time they are on, so I am one lucky dude."

Her superpowers:
"Managing tough projects and tight timelines with grace and forming strong connections with everyone with her kindness, empathy, and compassion."

"Jenny is the most unflappable person I've ever worked with. She can handle any problem that comes her way without breaking a sweat (or losing composure). She is an amazing role model for grace under fire!"

"She has a heart of gold and a strong work ethic to boot! You can always count on Jenny for hard work, kindness, and support. Whatever you need, she's there!!"

Her Journey:
When Tim called in 2010 and asked if I was interested in joining the team at IMPACT, I jumped at the chance to work with the same people who had been my mentors, friends, and colleagues. IMPACT is not your average CRO - we pride ourselves on being clinical research scientists and not just medical writers. This philosophy is exemplified by my progression here: I started as part of the writing team on an NDA, progressed to being a manager of various projects, and then managed an NDA of my own. In between all that, I was given the opportunity to play to my strengths and spearhead the development of the QC group we have today that I'm so proud of.

What IMPACT loves about Nancy:
"Nancy is an incredible manager. She is kind, caring, helpful, and understanding. She made sure I settled in quickly and comfortably here at IMPACT, and for all this I could not be more grateful."

"Nancy really knows her stuff. She's a great resource for any writing or QC topic and has created a wealth of learning tools to share that knowledge with others."

"Nancy knows her stuff! I love how detail-oriented she is. She explains complicated concepts in such a concise and clear manner."

"She's great at providing constructive feedback/input and is always energetic, upbeat, and smiling."

From the COO - "Nancy joined us shortly after we opened the doors, and she has been a total rock-star since Day 1. She has an incredible blend of being able to do both stellar, spot-on project work while developing long-lasting relationships with our clients because she makes them know she sincerely cares about their success. Her keen eye to detail is second to none, and she knows her professional football, which is clearly a plus for me!!"

Her superpowers:
"Incredible focus, efficiency, and top quality writing!"

"I secretly call her the 'Enforcer' - she's great at pushing back on clients and getting what she needs. Clearly she's great at ensuring quality as well, which is why she is head of QC!! She's also likely the most efficient person I know! And that's saying something..."