Improving Clinical Trial Execution with Strategic Vendor Partnerships

Shakirah Bradford, Senior Director of Vendor Management and Sourcing at CTI, discusses the key relationships that support clinical research. She also shares her unconventional path into sourcing and highlights why vendor management is uniquely complex within regulated environments. Since joining CTI, Shakirah has helped shift vendor relationships from transactional to strategic, equipping teams with the partnerships and tools needed to move medicine forward.  00:33 Overview of Shakirah’s role and cross industry background in vendor management. 01:25 How relationship building led Shakirah into sourcing and vendor management. 03:09 Selecting, contracting, and overseeing third-party vendors across the organization. 04:00 A housebuilding analogy to explain the role in everyday terms. 04:42 The impact of global regulations and quality requirements on vendor oversight. 05:31 How trust and long-term relationships improve execution and efficiency. 06:47 What defines true partnerships in clinical research. 07:52 Shakirah’s evolving approach to collaboration and stakeholder needs. 08:37 Why creativity, curiosity, listening, and asking questions matter. 09:32 Choosing an industry you’re passionate about and staying connected to patient impact. 11:17 Final reflections on passion and partnership.