To us, it's personal.
Phase 3 was built on one conviction: when the right leaders are in the right place, medicines reach the patients who need them in time to make a difference.
The timeline that matters.
In 1995, Alex Cooke's family lost his fifteen-year-old brother, William, to bacterial meningitis. The science was not where it needed to be. The operations to scale what existed were not where they needed to be either. That combination decides which families wait, and which families do not.
While he did not know it at the time, that loss would shape everything. Phase 3 was founded to help other families avoid the same experience — by accelerating drug development through the leadership teams that turn science into approved medicine.
— Alex Cooke, Founder & CEO
Three core beliefs. Everything else follows.
A boutique practice is only as good as what it refuses to compromise on. These are ours.
The Prime Directive
The prime directive of biotech, pharma, and everyone who supports the space is to get medicines to the patients who need them — in time to make a difference. This is the timeline that matters, and we measure our work against it.
Data
We believe in data. Evidence beats opinion when deciding about people, capital, and platforms. It is why we publish our research — the CTO Mandate Framework, the Investor Tier List — instead of keeping it in a drawer.
Leading the Right Way
We believe in leading the right way. The right CTO at the right stage. The right CMC head before the first inspection. Leadership is what turns science into approved medicine — and getting it right is the whole job.
Alex Cooke. Founder. CEO. Operator.
Thirteen years placing CMC and Quality leadership across biopharma. One conviction: better technical leadership is the fastest way to get therapies to the people waiting for them. Phase 3 operates as a partner-led practice, supported by a fractional network of CMC and Quality operators who deliver alongside Alex on assessment and advisory engagements.
- Author, The CTO Mandate Framework (May 2026)
- Forbes Business Council member · 23 published articles
- Host, the Biotech Leadership Podcast
- European and US executive search expertise
- Former professional jazz musician
Let's change the state of the biotech industry, together.
If our beliefs resonate with how you build, we should talk. Every engagement starts with a conversation, not a contract.