There’s no doubt that my job can often feel like juggling lots of balls; finance, HR and administration all come under my remit, and I’m up and down the stairs like a yo-yo – it’s good for my step count I’m sure. I often have to keep track of everyday jobs while planning future events, such as making sure an Algem® is ready and shipped for our next show. I’ve been involved in this type of role for the past 20 years, so managing multiple demands in a small company feels a little like second nature.

I unofficially like to think of my role as ‘clarity provider.’ The challenge of working in a start-up is that all the processes have to be developed from scratch and adapted as the company grows. Part of my role has been to help to cement the way we work as a company and nudge people in the right direction. When I came on board three years ago, I was able to free up Andrew and others who, at the time, were stretched between the lab and the office. It’s been a huge help, allowing them to pursue their interests without worrying about all the other stuff – such as keeping track of financial transactions or submitting grant claims every quarter – that still needs to be done. After all, algal strain engineering is a world apart from employment law!

Algenuity is very much a family company – you can feel the vibe when you walk in – and maintaining this distinctive culture will be crucial as we continue to grow. It’s an exciting prospect, and I look forward to being even busier and keeping up with the pace of change. At the end of the day, I’m quite happy to let people specialise in what they do, because they do that better than I ever could. I’m very much a generalist, and I think that a company needs both types of people to succeed.

Algenuity is an algae technology development and licensing company with world-class expertise in algal biotechnology, solving problems that deliver a positive global impact. Algenuity’s multidisciplinary team develops proprietary and integrated solutions that increase productivity and performance of algal strains, reduce time to market for algal bioproducts, and boost overall profitability. These enabling technologies include the Algem® labscale photobioreactor, a non-GM directed evolution platform, GM strain engineering platforms, and novel bioprocess development and optimisation tools. Algenuity is located in Stewartby, Bedfordshire, within the United Kingdom’s Golden Triangle for biotech between London, Cambridge, and Oxford.

For more information, visit www.algenuity.com