etrials CEO resigns for ‘family reasons’

Morrisville, N.C. — Chip Jennings resigned as chief executive officer at etrials Worldwide on July 8 for “family reasons,” the company said Thursday.

Jennings, who took over the clinical trials software and services firm a year ago as part of a management shakeup, also quit the etrials board.

etrials (Nasdaq: ETWC) named Chuck Piccirillo, its vice president for technology, as interim CEO.

Jennings will “remain available” to work with etrials as a consulting basis, the company said.

“Chip leaves the company with an effective sales management team and revitalized sales force, and the entire organization is keenly focused on driving sales of integrated solutions that uniquely address the needs of our customers,” said Robert Brill, chair of the etrials board, in a statement.

Jennings led etrials through a reorganization that included the departure of its chief operating officer, Peter Benson, on April 30. His position was eliminated. Benson had joined etrials as part of a new management team Jennings put in place.

The company was reorganized in April into two groups – technology and services led by Piccirillo and direct service delivery led by Stuart Thiede.

Jennings replaced John Clines as CEO. Clines helped found the company.