Graham Sanders
Founder & CEO
Over 30 years of life science sector expertise
Graham Sanders founded Elevate Pharma with a singular focus: building leadership teams that drive commercial outcomes across life sciences. With over three decades of sector experience, he brings an operator's understanding of what makes executive hires succeed and deliver impact.
Senior-led delivery with a focus on quality and consistency. The depth of relationship and market knowledge built across biotech, CRO and pharmaceutical leadership search is applied to every mandate.
What We Do
Strategic focus areas
Biotech – C-Suite
Pre-revenue biotech companies require experienced leadership aligned to stage of development and funding. We deliver permanent or fractional CFOs, CMOs, CCOs and Regulatory leaders who bring commercial-stage expertise to early-stage organisations.
From Series A financing through IND submission, our placements strengthen leadership teams and help translate scientific innovation into operational progress.
CRO – Executive Build & Scale
Contract research organisations operate in complex environments requiring balance between growth, operational delivery and regulatory compliance. We build leadership teams capable of scaling organisations while maintaining quality and governance standards.
COOs, VPs of Clinical Operations, Heads of Business Development and Quality leaders appointed with a clear understanding of high-performing CRO leadership.
AI in Life Sciences – Leadership & Governance
AI is transforming drug discovery, development and commercial strategy within highly regulated environments. We place leaders who combine scientific depth, governance discipline, regulatory awareness and commercial perspective.
Heads of AI, Chief Data Officers and VP-level leaders — appointed to deliver scalable impact. From AI-enabled clinical development to data-driven regulatory strategy, we identify leadership that translates innovation into measurable outcomes.
Case Studies
Outcomes that matter
Series A CCO Placement
A pre-revenue biotech required a fractional Chief Commercial Officer to develop commercial strategy ahead of partnering, licensing, and corporate development.
Targeted market mapping and direct engagement of experienced biotech leaders resulted in a successful appointment within 18 days, providing immediate commercial leadership to support strategic partnering discussions.
Board-Level Commercial Appointment
A growing CRO required a board-level commercial leader with proven experience in sales leadership and operational scale to support its next phase of growth.
Targeted market mapping and direct engagement of senior CRO and adjacent sector leaders led to a successful appointment, with the individual remaining on the board over six years later and contributing to sustained commercial growth.
AI Strategy Leader Appointment
A global clinical laboratory required an AI leader to drive workflow automation and operational efficiency across regulated laboratory and analytical platforms.
Leveraging our life sciences and AI network, we delivered a specialist appointment within three weeks. The nine-month engagement successfully delivered targeted workflow and operational improvements.
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