What was the best professional advice you were ever given?

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Hollie Vile, Director, Optimum Strategic Communications

“Integrity is important. Be confident, be yourself. Don’t underestimate your capabilities. Don’t fear failure. Cultivate relationships. You can never do too much reading…”

Susan Galbraith, SVP and Head of Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca

“Build your network and use it for support and advice – you will learn faster from a diverse set of contacts and benefit from mutual support.”

Marlene Landu, Regulatory Compliance Specialist, LCH Group

“Never settle for less.”

Tania Dimitrova, Chief Business Officer, Artios Pharma

“Forget about working on improving your weaknesses, focus your energy on making your strengths really strong instead.”

Chiara Muston, Associate, Howard Kennedy LLP

“If you want to be successful in a male-dominated world, don’t try to behave like a man (they are better at it). Behaving like yourself, and you’ll stand out. “

Tina Tan, Executive Editor, FirstWord MedTech

“I’ve never really had a mentor to offer me advice, but a lesson I’ve learnt myself through experience is: don’t burn bridges, build them.”

Maarit Merla, Head of Business Development, Forendo Pharma

“Take care of yourself. If you do your best, that is all anyone can ask for. You cannot fix every problem, work 24/7, or remember every detail. You have done enough if you have done your best.”

““To assume, makes an ass of u and me”. Don’t assume, make sure that you understand – and that your message comes across in the way you intended. “

Catherine Pickering, Chief Executive Officer, iOnctura

“I remember being part of a team of BD professionals discussing how some people were completing deals and others seem to stall because they “weren’t empowered”. I was one of the more junior BD people in the discussion but had also completed the most deals. I remembered thinking that I had never suffered from feeling unempowered. My boss at the time told the team that “empowerment was a mindset not a right that you had to be granted” that has stuck with me for a long time.”

Deborah Harland, Partner, SR One

“You don’t continually have to be on a sharp upward professional trajectory. Plateauing from time to time is fine (and normal). When you are on a plateau do something for yourself outside of and not necessarily related to your work. Broadening your skillset, knowledge and outlook rounds you as a person, raises self-awareness and is as much a springboard for the next upward professional trajectory as your biggest and best achievements at work.”

Mette Kirstine Agger, Managing Partner, Lundbeckfonden Ventures

“Very often, 80-90% perfection is enough. So understand early where you need 100% perfection, and how less is enough. That will allow you time to do the strategic thinking. Never underestimate the informal discussions at the coffee machine and in the very late afternoon”