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Brian Trent, MPA, is the deputy executive director for operations at PCORI.
As the deputy executive director for Operations, Trent leads PCORI’s operational strategies and oversees critical operations departments, driving delivery on operations and administration to advance PCORI’s mission and strategic priorities. This includes providing strategic oversight of Administrative Services, Finance, Procurement, DIGITAL, and People Strategy and Services Divisions.
Before joining PCORI, Trent served at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Eye Institute (NEI) as the deputy institute director for management (chief operating officer) for seven years. He oversaw the day-to-day operations of the NEI including extramural, intramural and clinical program budgets; finance; information and technology; procurement; human capital and facilities.
Prior to the NEI, Trent served as the associate director for management for the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products, where he led the establishment of the administrative management infrastructure and policies and procedures for the newly established center and spearheaded these efforts over a period of rapid growth for the organization. Trent also previously served as chief operating officer in the Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary.
Trent is an experienced executive with more than 25 years of experience in financial management and operational leadership. He co-chaired an NIH committee focused on the future of work and lessons learned from extending telework as a result of COVID-19. Additionally, he served as the Chair of an NIH committee that successfully streamlined the government contracting process and led an effort to automate administrative processes across the Institute. Trent also led the development of NEI’s first administrative strategic plan and the institute’s first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategic plan. He also received the highly regarded NIH 2021 Diversity Leader of the Year award.
Trent received his master of public administration from the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government and his bachelor of science in public administration, also from George Mason University.