From Tartu in Estonia via Stockholm, London and Berlin to us in Gothenburg. Over the past couple of years, Paula has toured Europe to build her skillset within the life science space. We’re fortunate that Sweden charmed her and have since January gladly been calling her our colleague. For this team profile, we asked her to introduce herself and tell our readers a little bit about her experience.
My name is Paula and I’m a biobusiness nut with a background in gene technology and bioentrepreneurship. My journey in the life science field started out with hard sciences and hands-on lab work during my bachelor’s degree in gene technology at the University of Tartu in Estonia. Although I am truly grateful for the lessons I learned about the depths of biology, I realized that I wanted to understand and help the field of sciences from an angle that supports the sustainability and commercialization of life-changing inventions, rather than through lab research. Thus, in 2016, I enrolled into Karolinska Institutet’s bioentrepreneurship program in Stockholm.
During, and after graduating from the bioentrepreneurship program, I’ve worked for biopharma, market access consulting, and digital health companies in Sweden, the UK and Germany. This has provided me with a range of insights that have been invaluable in understanding the different players, opportunities and dynamics of the life science industry. One key takeaway is that there is no place for isolation when you’re chasing big, positive outcomes and that the entire industry relies on worldwide collaboration. International partnerships are complex but also exciting and I love facilitating such collaboration through integrating solid figures and well-positioned texts into decision-making material. So, let’s crunch, laugh, and make it happen.
“International partnerships are complex but also exciting and I love facilitating such collaboration through integrating solid figures and well-positioned texts into decision-making material.”
My most recent work experience was in medical strategy and business development in Berlin, but when MSC advertised an opening I was eager to apply. While MSC is far from being a dinosaur in its field, MSC has become a key business supporter for a number of Nordic biotech companies in a relatively short time. Such performance is impressive. It was also said that the team behind the company is diligent, full of energy, fun to work with, and, in the most positive way, super competitive. This made me feel that I would fit right in. Moreover, being the biotech geek that I am, I was excited by the fact that most of the company’s clients are active within this field. Finally, I love the fact that MSC is, by large, working with new players and emerging technologies. I find it super exciting to support companies that are in the greatest need of business-related help, so their innovative solutions could actually make a difference one day.
Two months in, I’m already working hands on with client material and am as enthusiastic as ever to be here. Going forward, I’m truly looking forward to be working together with numerous ambitious pharma and biotech companies and assisting our clients in achieving their clinical and business milestones, thus taking us all closer to solving great unmet healthcare needs.
Kind wishes,
Paula Salme
