Malcolm Silander, managing partner and co-founder at Precision BioSearch, is an advisor at the University of Westminster, an active STEM ambassador and a mentor on the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme
Name: Malcolm Silander
Occupation: Managing Partner, Co-founder at Precision BioSearch
Malcolm has dedicated his professional career to identifying pioneering talent within the Life Science sector. He has been responsible for scaling three recruitment organisations across the EU and North America, supporting hundreds of drug discovery and development companies.
Why did you choose to become a mentor on the NHS CEP, are you enjoying the experience and how have you supported your mentee/s so far?
‘’I chose to become a mentor to help. I wanted to use the skills that I had learned in business to support those in the NHS that haven’t had the same exposure, because they are too busy saving lives.
I enjoy the reward of seeing an idea, charity or company come to fruition.
I support my mentees with business planning, fundraising, behaviour / cultural assessment, growth plans, sounding board (including a business viewpoint), and regular calls.
I work with my mentees to share my experiences, to learn about the ways the country is being supported and together we achieve some great results.’’
What do you think makes a good mentor and can you see the impact that mentoring is having on your mentee?
‘’An effective mentor has the ability to listen, to a align a concept with the reality of actioning it and is willing to give up their time.
I can see the impact that my mentoring is having on my mentees when we reflect on the work, they have completed over a year ago. They also ask for additional support on subjects or thank me for the advice I provided.’’
What is the best piece of advice you have been given in your professional career?
‘‘If your line of work is not vocational, then it is sales. Once you accept that, you can be a lot better at it.’’
What would you say to someone who is considering becoming a mentor with the NHS CEP?
‘’Try it, the chances are the reward of helping others will make you want to mentor more’’
Malcolm Silander is one of over 300 professionals that volunteer there support to the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme and support our next generation of innovators. If you are interested in supporting the programme visit our mentor pages
TRANSFORMING HEALTHCARE THROUGH INNOVATION
