Piotr Sawicki Joins FutureMeds as Strategic Development Director, Poland

As trial complexity increases and local execution becomes more critical, FutureMeds has appointed Piotr Sawicki as Strategic Development Director for Poland, strengthening its local engagement with Sponsors, CROs, and patient communities in a key European research market.

FutureMeds has appointed Piotr Sawicki as Strategic Development Director for Poland, adding a renowned clinical research operator and academic with experience across site networks, oncology centres, and patient engagement initiatives in one of Europe’s most active research markets. 

“We are proud to begin this journey with a truly exceptional leader whose career has been defined by building, scaling, and transforming clinical research organisations. His experience across sites, oncology environments, and patient engagement will be directly relevant to patients, clients, our teams and partners as we continue to expand our presence in Poland.” 

— Wojciech Szczepanik, Executive Vice President of Operations 

Piotr has worked in clinical trials since the late 1990s, with roles spanning site management, business development, and patient recruitment across independent centres and large healthcare organisations.  

He previously held leadership positions at Synexus/AES, CMP Medical Center, and most recently, led the Clinical Trials Department at Luxmed Oncology. Earlier in his career, he co-founded Osteomed Medical Center and a Phase I Clinical Research Center, giving him direct exposure to both site-level delivery and organisational scale-up. 

Beyond operational roles, he has remained active in the broader research ecosystem as a member of the Polish GCPpl association’s Clinical Research Sites group coordinator, the Medical Research Agency’s business committee, and the scientific business committee at Warsaw Medical University. He is involved in SCRS initiatives such as SCRS Europe committee and Oncology Global Program. He is also a member of the International Society of Patient Engagement Professionals. 

A Local Role in a More Complex Trial Environment 

Piotr joins at a time when trial protocols are becoming more operationally demanding, hybrid and decentralised elements are increasingly embedded in study design, and Sponsors are placing greater scrutiny on site reliability and patient access across regions. From his perspective, the shift is less about geography alone and more about execution depth. 

“Studies are more complex than they were even a few years ago. That affects patient burden, site workload, and coordination between stakeholders. Site networks need to be visible and accessible not only at a global level, but also locally where studies are actually delivered.” 

— Piotr Sawicki, Strategic Development Director 

He also notes a gradual increase in research activity across EMEA and Asia, alongside continued pressure on timelines and recruitment performance. In this context, experienced in-country leadership can enhance feasibility, study flow, and stakeholder alignment more directly than centralised engagement alone.  

Bridging Global Partnerships and Local Study Flow 

A key part of Piotr’s remit will be strengthening FutureMeds’ relationships with Sponsors and CROs operating in Poland, particularly where global agreements already exist, but local collaboration may be limited. 

In practical terms, the role is expected to: 

• Improve alignment between global project discussions and local execution 

• Facilitate clearer access points for research partners seeking in-country support 

• Establish an even stronger presence among the patient communities 

  
  

“Research partners will gain a dedicated local connection,” Piotr said.  

“At the same time, study teams should see a more consistent flow of opportunities because relationships will be developed not only centrally, but also on the ground.” 

This approach reflects a broader industry reality: global vendor selection does not automatically guarantee strong local engagement unless supported by in-market relationship-building. 

Expanding Patient and Advocacy Engagement 

Another priority will be increasing engagement with patient organisations and advocacy groups, an area Piotr believes remains underdeveloped across many European research ecosystems. 

He argues that awareness of site networks among patient communities is still limited, even as public understanding of clinical research gradually improves. 

“If patient organisations are not familiar with who their potential research partners are, access becomes more difficult,” Piotr added.  

“Education and direct engagement with advocacy groups can improve trust, referral pathways, and ultimately recruitment.” 

This focus aligns with FutureMeds’ broader emphasis on patient engagement and decentralised trial models, including home-based visit services designed to reduce participation burden. 

Supporting Site Expansion and Market Development 

In addition to stakeholder engagement, Piotr will contribute to site expansion efforts in Poland. He described this as both a growth and operational priority, given the increasing demand for experienced sites capable of handling complex protocols, particularly in oncology and other high-burden therapeutic areas. 

He also emphasises the importance of maintaining the human dimension of clinical research amid increasing operational and technological demands. 

“Clinical research is unique because it sits right in the middle of medicine and research, but at its core it is still a human-to-human relationship. I often say that CRF can also mean Clinical Research Friendship, the trust built between patients, investigators, and research partners.” 

— Piotr Sawicki, Strategic Development Director 

As FutureMeds continues to scale its European network, the company views the appointment as a step toward reinforcing local execution capacity in markets where Sponsor expectations around recruitment, access, and delivery consistency continue to rise.