# John Balian

> John D. Balian, MD is a physician-turned-executive who co-founded ClinChoice, one of the world's larger full-service contract research organizations, and serves as its CEO, International. He spent years inside the FDA, then ran drug safety and regulatory operations at Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson before building a global CRO spanning the US, Europe and Southeast Asia. He is also a published novelist whose debut, Gray Wolves and White Doves, draws on his Armenian heritage and the Armenian Genocide.

- **Role:** CEO, International at ClinChoice Inc
- **Organizations:** ClinChoice Inc, MediVista Consulting, LLC, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer Inc, Bristol-Myers Squibb, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Armenian Center at Columbia University
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A. (attended on a full scholarship), Columbia University, M.D., Tufts University School of Medicine
- **Known for:** Co-founded and leads ClinChoice, a global full-service CRO with roughly 4,000 employees, Held top safety and regulatory roles at three major pharma companies (Pfizer, BMS, J&J), Served as Chief Medical Officer of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies

## Career timeline

- **early career** — Medical Reviewer for neuropharmacology products at the U.S. FDA, later Associate Director in the Office of Clinical Pharmacology and Biopharmaceutics
- **1995** — Co-founded ClinChoice Inc
- **Bristol-Myers Squibb** — Led Global Pharmacovigilance & Epidemiology and Medical Affairs groups
- **Pfizer (~10 years)** — Held multiple leadership roles including VP & Global Head for Clinical Safety and Risk Management, and Senior Vice President, Worldwide Safety & Regulatory Operations
- **2011** — Published debut novel Gray Wolves and White Doves
- **2014** — Became Chief R&D Operations Officer at Johnson & Johnson after serving as Chief Medical Officer of the J&J Family of Consumer Companies
- **2016** — Founded MediVista Consulting, LLC, advising healthcare and IT companies on transformative technologies
- **2018** — Became Chief Executive Officer of ClinChoice Inc
- **2023** — ClinChoice acquired CROMSOURCE, expanding its global presence

## Achievements

- Co-founded and leads ClinChoice, a global full-service CRO with roughly 4,000 employees
- Held top safety and regulatory roles at three major pharma companies (Pfizer, BMS, J&J)
- Served as Chief Medical Officer of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies
- Worked inside the U.S. FDA as a medical reviewer and associate director
- Widely published in scientific journals
- Published novelist - debut Gray Wolves and White Doves rated about 4.0 on Goodreads
- Serves on the Board of Directors of the Armenian Center at Columbia University

## Latest updates

- **2018-01** — Took over as CEO of ClinChoice Inc
- **2023-02** — ClinChoice acquired CROMSOURCE, expanding its global footprint

## Links

- Website: http://www.johndbalian.com/about-john-d-balian-md
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/john-balian-md-7344a723

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/john-balian
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-11