In this installment of Executive Insights, we speak with Charles Camp, Global CFO and Managing Director for UK and Europe, and Diana Noah, Head of Program Management at Scendea, a product and regulatory consulting group with offices in Australia, the Netherlands, and the UK. After more than 400 days of planning and partnership with WDCEP, Scendea selected Washington, DC as the home of its U.S. expansion.
Built Around a Real Problem
Some companies find their way to Washington, DC by chance. Scendea came here on purpose.
The global biotech consulting group had already built a presence across Australia, the Netherlands, and the UK when they started thinking seriously about the United States. Charles Camp, Global CFO and Managing Director for UK and Europe, and Diana Noah, Head of Program Management, sat down with WDCEP to talk about what brought them here and what they found when they arrived.
Built Around a Real Problem
Scendea started as a management buyout — a product development arm inside a clinical research organization that worked with biotech and pharma companies running clinical trials. The people leading that work eventually realized they had built something worth spinning out on its own. So they did.
The mission has stayed consistent ever since. Scendea partners with companies navigating the road from drug development to regulatory approval, helping reduce time to market and minimize development costs along the way. It is specialized work, and the team they have built reflects that.
“We have people who are not only incredibly skilled, but they love what they do,” Noah said. “They truly love making clients successful in their drug development programs.”
Camp is quick to point out that was not an accident. “We’ve built this over a number of years to be able to be that solution for a wide range of clients in the biotech and pharma industry.”
The Case for DC
For a firm whose clients are working toward FDA approval, location is a real business decision. Most of Scendea’s clients are on a development pathway toward regulatory licensure, which means at some point they need to be close to the agency. DC makes that possible in a way few other cities can.
“It’s a natural location,” Noah explained. “Clients can come here, interact with us in preparation, and then transition directly to FDA headquarters.”
There was also a global dimension to it. With offices spanning multiple time zones, DC gave Scendea a practical anchor point for collaboration across the entire company. Camp described the city as one that has a genuine international character — something that aligned with how Scendea already operated.
“You constantly stay dynamic,” he said. “That’s in everything DC really has.”
Where WDCEP Came In
Long before Scendea officially opened its doors, Camp reached out to WDCEP with a straightforward message: we have a vision to move here, and we need help making it real.
In less than 18 months, WDCEP worked alongside Scendea through site selection, grant assistance, and introductions to the professional network already embedded in the District. What could have been a complicated process felt, as Camp described it, completely natural.
“You’ve been able to connect us with a professional network that already exists here in DC,” he said. “It aligns with the collaboration and the spirit of who we are as an organization already. Without the economic partnership, we would have found that much harder.”
What They Found Here
Noah has lived in DC for over a decade. When asked about the city, her answer was simple.
“DC is just a great town. It’s got a great vibe. A lot happening, a lot going on — good energy.”
For a company that runs on talented people who genuinely care about their work, that matters. Scendea was not just looking for office space. They were looking for a city their team would want to be in. They found it.
“That’s what DC did for us,” Camp said. “Be part of that strategy — that’s how we’re going to achieve our vision and grow.”
To hear from more business leaders choosing Washington, DC, explore the full Executive Insights series.