A couple of weeks ago I had a very insightful conversation with Mark Chadwick – who reached out to me when I first announced The Catalytic Site. The mission behind it resonated deeply with him, and he offered to contribute.
He literally said:
“Apparently they say I’m a serial biotech entrepreneur – I think I can add a few interesting insights for your audience.” :D
And he absolutely did.
I couldn’t pass on his offer, and what followed was a wide-ranging, genuinely enjoyable chat. We covered everything from the evolution of the biotech landscape to career inflection points – especially his own shift from a scientific background into commercial leadership roles.
Mark’s path was anything but linear – from academic research, to biotech R&D, then commercial and leadership roles in a startup, and eventually covering CCO, CEO, and advisory positions.
📹 I encourage you to listen to the full interview – it’s on the longer side, but could be the perfect companion for your next run, walk, or lab clean-up session :)
🎥 Watch here
In each newsletter, I’ll focus on one theme from our conversation – to break it down and inspire some thoughts (and as always, your comments and reflections are more than welcome).
So let’s talk about that big shift:
R&D scientist ➡️ Commercial leader
One thing I hear often:
👉 "Should I move into a commercial role directly? Or is it better to start in R&D and evolve from there?"
Mark’s take? Well, it depends. (Classic scientist answer, right?)
Here’s what he said in the interview:
“When it came to complex services and a much more technical sell,
then the folks who had done science for longer tended to be better at that.
If you had a product with a ‘crib sheet’ – a benefit sheet with features listed –
then a pure salesperson was usually better. But when the sell was more nuanced,
technical, relationship-based – the scientists shone.”
Both career choices are valid – whether you start directly in a commercial role or enter through R&D and evolve from there. You’ll continue building new skills in industry that will shape how you approach future opportunities. The key is to be thoughtful about what kind of environment and learning curve you’re after right now.
So if you're wondering whether to transition now into a commercial path or to do it gradually – the real question becomes:
🎯 What do you want to learn next, and what kind of challenges genuinely energise you?
Mark also talked about his experience building and leading teams – and how he hired commercial people based on the kind of sale the business needed. Was it a simple product with high-volume sales targets? Or a more complex, consultative service? That distinction shaped who he looked for – and it’s a good lens to use when considering roles yourself.
So if you’re thinking of stepping off the R&D path and exploring something new:
🔬 Know that your technical background can translate more than you might expect.
And whether your strength is in translating science into strategy, building trust in a complex sales cycle, or shaping a team from scratch – there’s space for it. The important thing is to recognise that your scientific background isn’t something you’re moving away from. It’s something you’re building on top of.
Are you considering a similar move? I’d love to hear your story.
Until next time,
Cecilia
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