The Conversations on Leadership series shares the inner workings of PRA’s 2022 leadership transition. In May 2022, Senior Vice President Sarah Desmarais, PhD, will become the firm’s President; current President Pamela Clark Robbins will retire in December 2022. Conversations on Leadership explores the transition, the evolution of PRA over the past 35 years, and what the future holds for themselves and the organization.
The series is composed of the following three episodes:
- Episode 1: The Leadership Transition: In this episode, Ms. Robbins discusses her initial search for a successor, the early conversations between her and Dr. Desmarais, and what we should expect over the coming months. Dr. Desmarais shares her history with PRA during her graduate work, how she felt about transitioning from academia to the private sector, and the transition plan that the two have worked hand-in-hand on developing. (Episode 1 Transcript)
- Episode 2: The Future of PRA: In this episode, Dr. Desmarais discusses her passion for research and evidence-based practices, how PRA’s research and technical assistance work will inform one another under her leadership, and her reflections on her first year on the job. In addition, Ms. Robbins shares her reflections on Dr. Desmarais’s first year at PRA. (Episode 2 Transcript)
- Episode 3: Pam’s Reflection on 35 Years: In this episode, Ms. Robbins walks through some of the highlights from 35 years at Policy Research. The conversation covers the early days of Policy Research when the firm had one research grant, and how the work and culture have evolved over time. (Episode 3 Transcript)