Meet Our Leadership Team
Strong leadership is built on trust, vision, and a commitment to doing what’s right for patients and partners. Across every level of M3 Wake Research, our leadership team fosters a culture grounded in collaboration, integrity, accountability, excellence, and continuous improvement, helping ensure every study is supported with care, operational strength, and a people-first approach to clinical research.
Minoru Tonogai
Chief Executive Officer
Minoru Tonogai is CEO of M3 Wake Research and an Executive Officer at M3’s Japan headquarters, with over a decade of leadership experience across CRO, SMO, and real‑world data businesses, driving growth, operational excellence, and strategic development in clinical research.
Lauri Befus
Chief Clinical Operations Officer
Lauri Befus, Chief Clinical Operations Officer, is experienced in leading multi-site clinical research. Focused on optimizing enrollment, site performance, and quality while building strong sponsor relationships and improving patient access to clinical trials.
Jennifer Larkin
Vice President of Business Development
Jennifer Larkin brings more than 20 years of experience across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, as well as preclinical and clinical research where she developed a comprehensive understanding of drug development from preclinical and early-stage research through commercialization.
Susan Hernandez
Vice President of Clinical Affairs
Susan Hernandez, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC, FNP-C, is Vice President of Clinical Affairs at M3 Wake Research, where she leads investigator engagement, strategic growth, and clinical policy across our network, advancing quality trial execution and scalable research partnerships.
Kailen Zorzi
Vice President of Finance
Kailen Zorzi, CPA, joined M3 Wake Research in 2023 as Controller and now serves as VP of Finance, overseeing accounting, FP&A, and multi-site financial operations. A licensed CPA with a public accounting background at RSM, his experience spans the clinical research, biotech, and telecom industries.
Amanda Eriksen
Vice President of Marketing
Amanda Eriksen brings a strong background in patient recruitment and digital growth. She combines data-driven execution with a people-first approach to help expand access to innovative healthcare solutions while driving enrollment performance and organizational growth across clinical research networks.