– Written by John Salter, PHUSE EMEA Director
The recent PHUSE Board meeting in Hamburg brought together leadership and key stakeholders to reflect on progress, align on priorities, and set direction across governance, technology, collaboration and industry initiatives. Spanning multiple sessions, the discussions highlighted both immediate actions and longer-term strategic opportunities for PHUSE and the wider community.
Strengthening Governance and Leadership Planning
A central theme of the meeting was succession planning and committee structure, particularly for PHUSE Americas. Discussions focused on refining the committee model and introducing sub-committees to improve focus, continuity and engagement. This work will support sustainable leadership transitions and clearer accountability across initiatives.
Modernising PHUSE Events and Offerings
The Board discussed modernising the CSS and agreed to move forward with allowing flexibility for future breakouts. There was strong consensus on better promoting CSS outcomes through blog posts, Meet the Board sessions and wider communications. Rebranding CSS as a distinct event remains a potential longer-term option.
In parallel, the Board reviewed EMA collaboration opportunities, in line with PHUSE’s commitment to regulatory engagement and cross-industry alignment.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
Updates on PHUSE’s DEI approach confirmed that the existing survey will continue into 2026, with no immediate changes planned. However, the Board recognises the need for stronger alignment between PHUSE and pharmaverse communications. With pharmaverse recently releasing a DEI-focused blog post, discussions highlighted the importance of a shared empowerment framework, clear ownership of messaging, and compliance with US regulations. Further discussions with stakeholders are planned to expand DEI initiatives across PHUSE.
Technology and Digital Infrastructure
The meeting reviewed the PHUSE tech stack, identifying both successes and areas for improvement. Highlights included:
- Zoom continuing to perform well for meetings and events
- Automated tools such as nightly dead-link checking adding value
- Making better use of platforms such as Eventsforce and the Advance Hub
- A medium-term goal to consolidate functionality into the main PHUSE website
- Upgrades such as print-on-demand name badges and improved analytics.
These discussions reinforced how important it is to have scalable, user-friendly systems to support PHUSE’s growing global activities.
Future Focus and Industry Alignment
Feedback from the Future Focus meeting underscored the value of tackling a small number of high-impact, cross-industry challenges. The Board noted the importance of aligning standards bodies, programming leads and data management leaders.
The Programming Heads Council highlighted ongoing industry tension around SDTM v4 and the need for a future joint meeting to establish a clear, unified industry position.
Looking Ahead
The meeting concluded with operational updates, including the scheduling of the PHUSE Board of Directors stand during the conference so it is visible and accessible for members.
Overall, the Board meeting strengthened our focus on strong governance, modernised events, inclusive practices, robust technology and meaningful industry collaboration. It reflected a clear commitment to evolving alongside the needs of the global clinical data and regulatory community.
