When AZ made the decision to relocate from Alderley Park to Cambridge, relocating was not a viable option for me.
Having been with AZ since 1997, this represented a significant turning point in my career. Rather than viewing the situation as a setback, I chose to see it as an opportunity to pursue an entrepreneurial path. Alongside Graham Wilson, a fellow AstraZeneca colleague, I took what was a considered risk and co-founded GEM Programming Solutions.
Between us, Graham and I brought ~40 years of pharmaceutical industry experience in Statistical Programming and were confident that our expertise could support biotech and pharma companies requiring high-quality stats programming services. GEM Programming was incorporated with Companies House on 10 April 2016.
Initially, we had two full-time employees, a small office, and no clients or contracted work on the books. In the early days, Graham and I invested significant effort in networking, attending industry conferences such as PhUSE, and promoting our new company to potential clients and collaborators.
We were also fortunate to receive support from a strong network of former AstraZeneca colleagues and friends within the industry. Their encouragement, recommendations and willingness to introduce us to new opportunities played a significant role in helping us establish and grow the business.
In particular, I would like to place on record my sincere thanks to Kevin, Aaron, Andy, Claire, Nicola and Sarah. Their support, advocacy and belief in GEM over the past ten years have been invaluable, and I remain grateful for the contribution they have made to our success.
What began as a small start-up with two founders, a modest office and no clients, has now grown into an established and respected consultancy. Today, we have a team of ~ 45 Programmers and provide support to a diverse range of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies across the UK, Europe and the United States.
The journey has been both challenging and rewarding in equal measure. Building a business from the ground up has required resilience, adaptability and a willingness to embrace uncertainty (not least through the Covid years), but it has also created opportunities that I could never have imagined when I first took the leap in 2016.
Looking back, founding GEM was undoubtedly one of the most significant and fulfilling decisions of my career. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved so far and excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. As we celebrate our first ten years, I look forward to continuing to grow GEM, supporting our clients’ success, and building on the strong foundations we have established for the next decade and beyond.