Dennis Gillings
Dennis Gillings | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dennis Barry Gillings April 25, 1944 London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Statistician, Business leader |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Known for | Founder and former chairman of Quintiles Transnational |
Sir Dennis Barry Gillings (born 25 April 1944) is a British-American billionaire statistician and business leader, known as the founder and former chairman of Quintiles Transnational, a clinical research enterprise based in Durham, North Carolina.
Early life
Gillings was born in London to a family engaged in fishmongering. He completed a BSc in 1966 and earned his PhD in mathematics in 1972 from the University of Exeter. Additionally, he obtained a qualification equivalent to a master's degree in mathematical statistics from the University of Cambridge.
Career
During his doctoral studies, Gillings taught at Exeter before joining the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1971 as an instructor specializing in biostatistics.
He established Quintiles, which has grown into a prominent contract research organization. The company went public via an IPO in 1994. Quintiles is acknowledged as the foremost global provider of clinical trial services and commercial marketing support to pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms. Gillings stepped down as executive chairman in December 2015 but continues to serve on the company's board.
The Sunday Times Rich List estimated his wealth at £1.199 billion in 2019.
In 1998, he funded the Dennis Gillings Professorship of Health Management at the University of Cambridge.
Honours
Gillings was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science (DSc) degree by the University of Exeter in 2001. He was honored with the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2004 for his contributions to the pharmaceutical sector. In recognition of his efforts to advance dementia and life sciences research, he was knighted in the 2020 New Year Honours.
Personal life
After nearly 32 years of marriage, Gillings initiated divorce proceedings from his first wife, Joan Gillings (1946–2021), in 2010. He remarried in 2012, wedding pharmaceutical executive Mireille Gingras in Hawaii.