Career Path Of A CEO At A Startup Biotech Company
Jon's career path, beginning with a medical microbiology degree in the UK, took an unexpected but ultimately fulfilling trajectory. After starting with "cutting up dead people," Jon transitioned through roles in cord blood transplantation, a stint at Syngen in California, and leadership at Invotech, ultimately leading to their current position as CEO of Trenching Biosystems, a testament to their entrepreneurial spirit and drive to "do it yourself".
Career Development, Executive/Leadership, Overcoming Challenges, Motivational Stories, Real-World Examples
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jon Ellis
CEO
Start-up Biotech Company
University of Leeds (UK) 2002
N/A
Biology & Related Sciences
Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical
Business Strategy
Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. Jon's career path highlights a willingness to relocate for opportunities, showcasing adaptability and ambition. He moved across the country in a week to pursue a cord blood transplantation role, demonstrating proactive career progression.
2. His journey from a specialized medical microbiology degree to CEO of a biotech startup showcases versatility and a capacity to acquire new skills in various roles within the industry, from tissue retrieval to commercial-scale cell manufacturing.
3. Jon's decision to start his own company after gaining experience in large corporations and startups highlights entrepreneurial spirit and the pursuit of self-directed career goals, suggesting a proactive approach to career development and a strong sense of agency.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path? Please start with your experience in college, and any internships or jobs you've had before your current role.
I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do when I went to college. I went to college in the UK, so it's a bit different than in the US. The undergraduate degree is more specialized, with no electives or a major/minor. You just do what you do.
My degree was medical microbiology. My primary interest was immunology, but medical microbiology seemed like an interesting way to see how the human body interacts with the world around it. So, it seemed like a pretty reasonable place to start, though I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do with it.
I had an interest in cancer, and at that point, most people have a dream of working in some form of research. That didn't quite pan out, and I'm pleased it didn't. But at least I had a good idea about where I wanted to go.
In the UK, if you want to get into a science job, the best place to start is the health service. I guess the equivalent here would be starting with a major corporation. I started off cutting up cadavers doing cataract tissue retrieval, just to get in. The idea was to move into something else when I saw something I liked within the organization, which is what I did.
I moved from there into cord blood transplantation. Quite interestingly, I was on a lunch break and saw a job advertised for cord blood transplantation in London. I was on the other side of the country at the time. With just 15 minutes until the deadline, I printed out the application and faxed it over. I had an interview a few days later and started the following week, moving cross-country in about a week.
That really created the path for me. Going into cord blood transplantation, I developed an interest in cell processing and how cells were manipulated. One of our vendors, a new startup, called me one day and asked if I'd like to move to California to work for Syngen. I did that, and the company was acquired.
A year later, I joined Invotech to run their US cell therapy operations. It's part of a Fortune 500 company. I developed technology and systems for commercial-scale cell manufacturing. Last year, I decided to take a leap and thought, if you want to do a job, do it yourself.
So now I'm CEO of Trenching Biosystems, where we're going to be developing our own platforms.
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