Recognized as a “Top Businesswoman” by the Triangle Business Journal and a graduate of Harvard Business School’s prestigious Owner/President Management Program, Dr. Laura Helms Reece has led Rho through its most significant period of growth and expansion.

After cutting her teeth in clinical research as a Data Processor at Rho in 1991, Dr. Helms Reece spent time at both AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline before returning to Rho as a Biostatistician, eventually becoming CEO and, most recently, Executive Board Chair. Dr. Helms Reece remains actively involved in the business and working in close partnership with executive leaders worldwide.

Dr. Helms Reece enjoys supporting Durham and North Carolina’s public schools. She is an active member of the Board of the Durham Public School Foundation, including service as co-Chair for the Expanding Digital Equity campaign. She is also a member of the inaugural Board of Advisors for The Durham Compact, an organization committed to forging corporate strategic alliances to build a more equitable city. Additionally, she served on the Gillings School of Public Health Foundation Board for nine years. When her term-limit expired she transferred to the Gillings Advisory Board. Dr. Helms Reece earned her Bachelor of Science, Masters and Doctorate in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.