So how do I find myself in London, in a Maxmara business suit having tea at the Ritz with my colleagues to discuss how to invest our new $100 million fund? It has been an interesting journey from lab bench to Green Park, so I will begin.
First, I would like to state that almost anything can be achieved in this quickly changing, entrepreneurial world if one has good credentials, a clear vision, flexibility, and optimism. Science itself has no cultural or linguistic barriers, and a Ph.D. is truly an international credential. Physicians and lawyers are constrained geographically by their licenses to practice their profession but scientists have the freedom to live and work around the world. Also, being fluent in a foreign language makes a resume more interesting and is a definite plus in our global work environment.
How I Began My Trek
My first dream as a full-fledged scientist was to live and work in Paris, France. I had been inspired to work in Paris by a well-known neuro-endocrinologist when I was an undergraduate. Imagine my extreme disappointment when I learned that after finally completing my Ph.D. 5 long, hard years later, I still lacked the experience that she required to work in her Parisian laboratory.
But now I was even more determined to get to Paris one way or another. I accepted a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship at McGill University in Montreal (a French-speaking city!) with the promise of spending my final year in Paris. My senior professor was good to his word, and the year that I spent in Paris in a molecular biology lab at Roussel Uclaf (now Hoescht Marion Roussel) was a turning point in my professional life.
Although I returned to an academic atmosphere for another 2 years at the College de France in Paris (my original inspira-trice finally invited me into her lab as a visiting scientist), a future in industry now intrigued me. But I wasn't quite ready to make the leap and I seriously considered remaining at the College, or accepting an academic-track position at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. Life being unpredictable, personal events led me back to the San Francisco Bay Area where I was bitten by the biotech bug.
After performing research for 12 years, I knew that at this point in my life I wanted to get off the bench. But now I was in a real "Catch 22"; no one wanted to hire someone for an "off the bench" position unless you had experience off the bench!
With no other obvious alternatives, I was compelled to take a job as a cancer researcher at Triton Biosciences, a small biotech company founded by Shell Oil Company and later acquired by Schering AG to become Berlex Pharmaceuticals. Although I was still tethered to a lab bench, I made every possible effort to learn about other aspects of the biotechnology industry.
I did manage to help organize external collaborations related to my research, and I acquired some knowledge about intellectual property and clinical trials. At this time, I also learned the importance of getting to know people outside of basic research to broaden my horizons. I must add that sometimes both timing and luck play a role in defining a career path and I have been the beneficiary of both.
Still on the bench a year and a half later, I picked up the phone and called Genentech out of sheer frustration. I inquired if they had any "off the bench" positions that required someone with my skills and international background. Destiny was clearly on my side, because Genentech was just in the process of creating a collaborations program. After 11 grueling hours of interviews, I was the first manager hired.
My job as "manager of new research identification" involved attending scientific conferences and arranging academic collaborations around the world, organizing scientific roundtables, and writing comprehensive reports on new research areas of interest.
This was my dream job. I was given the opportunity to attend Genentech's research review committee, whose members included the VP of Research, the VP of Clinical Affairs, key senior directors, and world-renowned external consultants. These discussions were enormously educational, because all research-based decisions were made at these meetings.
I also routinely met with department directors and scientists to discuss new ideas, as well as potential and ongoing collaborations. Although I had little interaction with business development, I spent time in the legal department working on collaborative agreements, patents, and intellectual property issues. I also worked with marketing while preparing my in-depth reports on various business opportunities presented as scientific programs. As the Genentech liaison to both the Canadian and Japanese offices, I was obliged to develop good communication and people skills.
Later on, when I devoted the majority of my time to the cardiovascular department, I had to earn the respect of the scientists before I was finally accepted as a true member of the department. The greatest hurdle in my unique position was convincing my colleagues that my brain did not atrophy despite the fact that I no longer held a pipette. Eventually, I succeeded in becoming a respectable "armchair scientist." My job was very rewarding and only a major reconstruction of my department compelled me to move on.
Once again, I was at another crossroads in my life and career. But this time I was better equipped. During my years at Genentech, I had the opportunity to develop strong people skills due to the sheer number of diverse people that I interacted with on a daily basis. I also discovered that I had a "nose" for new opportunities; I had been responsible for establishing a variety of academic collaborations in the areas of allergy, angiogenesis, cancer, and even snake venom (anti-thrombotics).
I was offered the opportunity of remaining at Genentech and writing in-depth reports full time or taking a lateral position in the marketing department. But I did not believe that either of these positions had enough growth potential or fully utilized my skills.
During my job search, I was eventually offered six external job opportunities and all were different. These offers were primarily the result of personal contacts and the fact that my experience at Genentech, a well-known and world-class organization, was invaluable. The positions were in intellectual property, venture capital, strategic development, or business development in small biotech companies, large biotech companies, a well-known investment banking house, and a technology transfer office at Oxford University. I knew that I was in an enviable position because I had so many choices.
After a few sleepless nights, I chose to become a director of strategic development in Chiron Corporation because I felt that this was the best fit for me both personally and professionally. I have never regretted my decision, as it was an excellent learning experience that broadened my business development, operational, and analytical skills, as well as bringing me a personal bonus-I met my husband in the office next door!
My position as director of strategic development included a diverse range of responsibilities and tasks. I created and chaired a technology assessment committee (a team comprised of scientific directors and business development representatives from all divisions) that evaluated and built databases of all unsolicited technologies and collaborative opportunities (600-700 opportunities each year). I led large and small task forces and strategy teams, and contributed to strategic plans in specific research areas. I organized the first scientific retreat as well as innumerable scientific and corporate meetings, performed in-depth due diligence with patent attorneys for select projects, and even dabbled in negotiating licenses and writing term-sheets. I was also the scientific liaison to Ciba-Geigy after it had acquired almost 50% of Chiron.
I was extremely busy! During the 3 years that I spent at Chiron, I had the opportunity to meet with approximately 100 biotech and pharmaceutical companies, which gave me an excellent base of professional contacts.
During this time, I had been watching the Biotech industry in Europe finally gain momentum, especially in the United Kingdom. In the back of my mind, I always had the goal of returning to live and work in Europe. So with this in mind, my husband and I chose London as our first choice because of the language, the city, and the exciting job possibilities in the health care industry.
Now, here is where tenacity, good luck, and personal contacts played a role once again in my life. I was given the names of key contacts (David Leathers, a senior partner in Abingworth, George Poste, head of R&D at SmithKline Beecham and Tony Scullion, the worldwide director of business development at Glaxo Wellcome) in venture capital firms and pharmaceutical companies in London. Since I had already lived in both Canada and France and had managed to obtain work permits in these countries, I was not easily daunted by the naysayers (and there were many) that said it could not be done.
Upon receiving my resume, Dr. Stephen Bunting, the other senior partner at Abingworth, actually telephoned me the next day. Abingworth was seeking a technical consultant and they liked my American biotech and international background. I eventually left Chiron, worked for Abingworth as a freelance consultant while living in the Bay Area, and relocated to London in early 1997. One major word of advice is to NEVER listen to anyone who tells you what you cannot do-everything is possible with solid credentials and the right attitude.
