Hamilton, N.J - Sparta Systems, Inc., the leading provider of quality and regulatory management software and services, announced today the appointment of Clark Golestani as Chairman of its Board of Directors. Most recently, Mr. Golestani served as President of Emerging Businesses and Global CIO at Merck until his retirement earlier this year. Mr. Golestani will focus on strategy and customer-focused innovation.

"I am thrilled for the opportunity to chair Sparta's board during this period of change in the life sciences industry as leading players embark on their digital transformation journey," said Mr. Golestani. "It is an exciting time as Sparta leads the way into the future of digital quality across the enterprise."

Mr. Golestani has more than three decades of experience in health, life sciences and technology. At Merck, he led the company's global Information Technology organization, strategy, and execution worldwide, spanning all lines of business inclusive of Human Health and Animal Health BioPharma. He was responsible for Merck's portfolio of services and solutions companies, as well as its global health innovation venture fund – each of which extensively leverages opportunities across the digital health ecosystem. Previously, Mr. Golestani was a principal with Oracle in charge of establishing and managing strategic client relationships from business development through consulting services and engagement delivery.

"I am honored to welcome Clark to our board and the Sparta family," said Dana Jones, CEO of Sparta Systems. "Clark is a transformational leader with deep industry knowledge, expertise and leadership. His drive and insight are energizing and align with our mission to deliver innovations that meet and exceed customer expectations." 

Pete Masucci, Sparta Board Member and Managing Director at New Mountain Capital, also shared his enthusiasm over Mr. Golestani's appointment: "Clark brings a unique combination of leadership, technology and life sciences domain expertise. We are excited to have him join the board and look forward to his involvement and partnership."

Mr. Golestani's appointment is made at a time of rapid and exciting innovation at Sparta. The company announced at its 16th Annual User Conference (Sparta Connection 2018) the launch of the TrackWise Advantage Program to offer customers the flexibility to adopt cloud solutions within their current TrackWise environment, or fully transition to a cloud environment. The program follows the launch earlier this year of TrackWise Digital, the industry's first and most advanced cloud-based enterprise quality management system.