Araz Toukmahji
Montreal,Canada
Summary
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt–certified leader with 15+ years of experience driving operational excellence across clinical research, healthcare, specialty pharmacy, and business operations. Proven track record of leading high-performing teams, optimizing processes, and delivering measurable improvements in service delivery, efficiency, and financial performance. Recognized for stepping into complex environments and rapidly implementing strategic and operational improvements, including KPI enhancement, workflow optimization, and large-scale change management. Experienced in stakeholder engagement, multi-site operations, and program implementation within highly regulated environments.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Manager, Pediatric & Adult Clinical Research
McGill University Health Centre – Research Institute (CIM)
01.2022 - Current
- Lead clinical research operations across multiple therapeutic areas, overseeing study delivery, budgets, and regulatory compliance
- Manage cross-functional teams (clinical, regulatory, finance, operations) to ensure efficient trial execution and performance optimization
- Drive resource planning and workload optimization across a portfolio of complex trials
- Partner with senior leadership to implement operational improvements and cost-recovery strategies
- Lead audits and inspections (Health Canada, FDA, sponsors), ensuring full compliance
- Served as Acting Director of Operations (15 months), ensuring continuity of strategic priorities and operational performance
- Played a key leadership role in CTMS implementation, including vendor selection and requirements definition
Manager, Specialty Pharmacy Solutions
Innomar Strategies (AmerisourceBergen, Now Cencora)
01.2017 - Current
- Lead a high-volume operations team within a national patient support program environment
- Manage staffing, performance, and service delivery, consistently meeting KPIs and client expectations
- Drive process improvements and SOP development, enhancing efficiency and service quality
- Lead end-to-end program launches for specialty drugs (SOW, staffing, systems, training, implementation)
- Partner cross-functionally (QA, IT, BI, Finance, Nursing, Pharmacy) to ensure program success
- Maintain strong client relationships through business reviews and performance reporting
- Led monthly and quarterly client meetings to present operational KPIs, performance insights, and strategic initiatives
Sales Operations & Compliance Manager
Thermo Fisher Scientific / Antylia Scientific
01.2013 - 01.2017
- Led inside sales, customer service, and technical teams, driving service excellence and revenue growth
- Managed high-volume operations, optimizing workflows and staffing models
- Oversaw pricing strategy, large bids, and compliance with export regulations
- Implemented performance tracking and reporting to drive continuous improvement
Education
Graduate Diploma - Healthcare Management
McGill University
Bachelor of Science - Cellular & Molecular Biology
Concordia University
Skills
- Operational Leadership & Strategy
- Clinical Research Operations
- Change Management & Process Improvement
- Project & Program Management
- Financial & Resource Planning
- Stakeholder & Client Management
- Team Leadership, Coaching & Development
- KPI Performance & Data-Driven Decision Making
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt – McGill Executive Institute
- Systems: Salesforce, Avaya, MS Office Suite, CRM platforms
- Languages: English, French, Armenian, Arabic
- Builds high-performing, engaged teams in complex environments
- Drives measurable improvements in operations and service delivery
- Strong leadership presence with ability to influence at all levels
- Combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution
Timeline
Manager, Pediatric & Adult Clinical Research
McGill University Health Centre – Research Institute (CIM)
01.2022 - Current
Manager, Specialty Pharmacy Solutions
Innomar Strategies (AmerisourceBergen, Now Cencora)
01.2017 - Current
Sales Operations & Compliance Manager
Thermo Fisher Scientific / Antylia Scientific
01.2013 - 01.2017
Bachelor of Science - Cellular & Molecular Biology
Concordia University
Graduate Diploma - Healthcare Management
McGill University