How much have you heard about quantum technology? If your answer is ‘very little’, expect to start hearing a lot more about its many applications as well as the implications of its use in the life sciences and healthcare sectors. I was fortunate to be invited to a recent AusBiotech/ CSIRO/ QUBIC event in Brisbane where a group of life scientists and quantum scientists got together. See our post below on some of the insights delivered by Australia’s Chief Scientist.
It’s been a very busy few months with plenty of events and client visits from the mexec team.
If you have any events that you would like included in our events list and new website list, then please let us know at [email protected]
Only 14 weeks till Christmas! 🎅🤶🧑🎄❄️🎄
Cheers
Marilyn Jones
In this edition you might want to check out:
- Our latest mexec musings from Marilyn Jones
- Check out our NEW SECTION on candidates seeking opportunities
- Register for Upcoming events
Blog from Marilyn Jones
I have three questions to start with today. What do you think are the right answers?
Question 1: How long should an executive CV be?
Question 2: How long should a board CV be?
Read further for more on the answers and, importantly, the why…
Click here to continue reading the full Musing which includes tips on how to format your CV for a NED Career.
Your Application Has Been Rejected – A Recruiter’s Perspective
Company Profiles
Marilyn caught up with Annette Murphy who mexec placed at
Incisive Technologies Pty Ltd as their new Head of Scientific Operations.
Photo of Annette with their CEO Kerry Hegarty and Justine Mann CEO of the new CBE Solutions facility and President of PDA Australia.
Executive & Management Opportunities: Experiences – Senior Level Opportunities: Product Managers – Flow Cytometry Medium Level Opportunities: Technical Sales Representative – with a difference Clinical Research Professionals
Do you know about the hidden job market? We filled 5 roles in the last few months WITHOUT advertising! We’ve filled a lot of roles recently with some really great people. To make sure you don’t miss out on your ideal role create a job alert via our website. |
Candidates Seeking Opportunities
Experienced COO / Contracts Mgmt. / Project Director / Legal and IP Executive. 25+ years med/bio-tech commercialisation experience in international and local markets. Finance, R&D Collaborations, Industry Partnerships, Government Grants, Operations, Risk Management, Boards and Governance. Also experienced in Ag-Tech, Industrial Biotech and Advanced Manufacturing.Available for part-time, contract, interim assignments.
PhD, MBA qualified Executive with expertise across product and strategy development, with commercial sales and marketing in health, pharma and life sciences. Experienced in AI technology, data analytics and development of strategy for businesses across the APAC region..
Experienced executive in biotech services, especially growing revenue and markets, as well as expanding technical teams. Strong commercial acumen with a service mindset and broad networks. Specialist at translating between different perspectives and knowledge bases. Likes gathering smart people with different skill sets to find solutions. Motivated by cutting-edge science and capacity building.
Reach out to Marilyn [email protected] or Mark [email protected] to discuss these experienced candidates for your organisation
The Latest in AI for our Sector
AI and its implications for research in higher education:
a critical dialogue
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Biopharma Industry
Research AI model unexpectedly attempts to modify its own code to extend runtime
Are you opportunity ready?
A networking discussion might produce a new opportunity – have your CV ready!
We can help you with this! Reach out to us for a free 15-minute phone consultation with Janice at [email protected] to see if the mexec jobstrategy™ program can help your career progression
mexec memberships
mexec is proud to partner with organisations across the life sciences, medtech, pharmaceutical, and healthcare sectors. We understand the importance of embedding ourselves within these sectors, and these partnerships help us to understand and ask the right questions to meet our clients and candidates needs.
Today, we highlight Marilyn’s membership of AusBiotech.
Marilyn is a member of AusBiotech and has been associated with the organisation for over 25 years. AusBiotech is the leading Australian industry body representing and advocating for organisations doing business in and with the global life sciences economy. Marilyn’s associations with AusBiotech include:
- Attending the AGM when the organisation changed from the ABA to became AusBiotech in 2001.
Marilyn is looking forward to attending the AusBiotech 2024 conference in Melbourne this year. See below in our list of events for further details on AusBiotech and other events.
 | mexec recruits and partners with a number of companies in NSW and we are proud to have just joined BioNSW. BioNSW is a membership organisation that catalyses Life Sciences innovation by connecting, promoting and representing the companies and professionals of NSW |
Industry News
In or out of Academia?
Academic research can be exciting, but there are also challenges for researchers. It is important for organisations to support scientists, including Masters graduates, postdocs and RAs who wish to move out of academia.
Our mexec team is experienced in presenting to institutes and university departments, delivering key elements of our unique mexec jobstrategy™ program. Content is tailored to your cohort, addressing role options, CV preparation, the value of networking and interview skills.
Contact us today at [email protected] to see if your group will benefit from the insights provided in our mexec jobstrategy™ program
Immigration Changes ‘Australia Skills In Demand Visa’
Later in the year, there will be some changes in Australian migration streams. A new four-year, temporary skilled worker Visa with a pathway to permanent residency is now available.
The two most impactful components for our sector are:
Specialised Skills Visa Pathway – Earning > $135,000
Expedited seven-day processed Visa for highly skilled foreign workers.
Core Skills Visa Pathway – Earning $70,000 – $135,000
Foreign workers with skills appearing on the revised ‘Skills In Demand’ list, developed by Jobs and Skills Australia.
More information will come in the next few months, so keep an eye on changes at the below sites:
Skilled Migration Program – What we do
Skilled Migration Program – Recent Changes
Skill Occupation List
Papers of Interest
As a scientist I read the book about Henrietta Lacks. Every scientist should read this. I had no idea that the research in the lab I was doing had such a story behind it.
These following articles are thanks to STAT a newsletter I read on the lack of diversity in cell lines used for drug development. Interesting reading.
In drug development, diversity must be extended to preclinical research
Ancestry matters: Building inclusivity into preclinical study design
Significant Research Advances Enabled by HeLa Cells
An Interactive Resource to Probe Genetic Diversity and Estimated Ancestry in Cancer Cell Lines
Toward Inclusivity in Preclinical Drug Development: A Proposition to Start with Intestinal Organoids
Additional Papers of Interest:
Tongue Disease Prediction Based on Machine Learning Algorithms
The landscape of genomic structural variation in Indigenous Australians
Unexplored microbial diversity from 2,500 food metagenomes and links with the human microbiome
Use of synthetic DNA spike-in controls (sequins) for human genome sequencing
Are you following mexec on LinkedIn?
We share frequent updates from the industry, recent and upcoming events, as well as exclusive job opportunities – follow us today so you don’t miss out!
Recent Events
WILD Program
Marilyn was privileged to be invited to the recent WILD retreat in country Victoria. Her session was on ‘Opening the doors to a NED career’, where she talked about the practicalities of where to find board roles.
Also discussed was why you do a CV a certain way. Four different Chairs provided their thoughts on Board CVs and the structure that they would like to see.
 | Bench to Bedside – Advancing Rediopharmaceuticals in Victoria Marilyn attended the BioMelbourne event on Bench to Bedside—Advancing Radiopharmaceuticals in Victoria. With over 200 people in attendance, it was a great time to connect with the locals. It was also Karen Parr, the new CEO’s first major event. Many new diagnostics and now potential therapies being developed locally! |
Quantum Meets Health
Marilyn spent a day in Brisbane at the “Quantum Meets Health” conference with thanks to CSIROAusBiotechAustralia’s Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley and QUBIC – The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Quantum Biotechnology.
Just getting our heads around AI and now throw in Quantum with AI. Its fascinating and thoroughly interesting. Dr Spock here we come.
The day covered many aspects that included reviewing the big challenges in health, including equity, indigenous science, workforce, ageing and climate change. Very importantly first, do no harm.
The promise of quantum technology to deliver personalised and predictive medicine is happening.
My breakout session spent some time reviewing IVD and Diagnostics with Quantum. The discussion revolved around using quantum to predict better biomarkers, better and faster detection and analysis, and also the ability to maybe even screen for metabolites from embryos that are really truly viable to increase IVF outcomes. So many possibilities.
 | BioTech Showcase Key take aways:
|
Bioshare Biotech Summit
A very full 2 days for BIOSHARES conference held this year held in Freemantle. Great to connect with some of our clients and many listed companies. Photo: Mark Pachacz
A special congratulations to Dimerix Limited who were recognised with The Blake Award for Excellence or ‘The Blakey”. It was great to see Nina Webster and her team there to accept.
Also great to connect with all the AusBiotech members from Australia that attended the event.
Credit for photo: AusBiotech
What it takes to get big in Medtech – A Conversation with Cochlear
Marilyn attended a Jumar event in July on ‘What it takes to get big in Medtech – A conversation with Cochlear’.
Marilyn has a family member with a Cochlear implant and has personal experience with how great they are. It was fabulous to hear the story and the innovation happening in the hearing space from Robert Gay, Director of Pharmaceutical Approaches, and Lauren Ayton from the University of Melbourne. This was a JUMAR and Victorian Medtech Skills and Devices Hub event.
 | QLD Life Sciences Gene Awards Marilyn and Mark had the privilege of enjoying lunch and networking at the recent Queensland Life Sciences Gene Awards. Congratulations to Professor Mark Kendall, who won the Industry Excellence Award. WearOptimo is developing smart wearable hydration monitoring. |
AI for Drug Discovery and Beyond
Marilyn attended the first invited outside event at the new CSL Theatre. AI for Drug Discovery and Beyond. A full day of presentations and panels on the evolving landscape of AI and its impact. Speakers from CSIRO, GOOGLE, CSL and many more
Key takeaways include the impact AI will have on cutting the speed of drug discovery from 15 years, billions of dollars, and 90% failure in clinical trials to finding a new drug in a few months with better predictions on safety and also increasing the success rate of the entire pipeline.
Big biopharma is heavily investing in AI.
 | 7th Annual Bio Connections Conference Marilyn attended the 7th Annual Bio Connections conference at Crown Promenade in Melbourne in July. It was a great opportunity to network with the local biotech/ medtech sector and also see some of our clients on stage and attending. Nina Webster from Dimerix spoke about the developments of their Phase III trial and their positioning for success. |
Upcoming events
Is your conference not listed here? mexec aims to be inclusive of conferences and events across the STEM sector in Australia for both academia and industry. Reach out to us if you are not listed, and we are very happy to include your event.
Links of Interest
Diversity Was Supposed to Make Us Rich. Not So Much
Moderate exercise may reduce job burnout, help curb ‘quiet quitting’ among employees
CSIRO study finds snails like red, dislike garlic
Do At-Home COVID-19 Tests Still Work?
A quick tip!
Easy Key IdentificationPaint the ends of your keys with different coloured nail polish to be able to quickly and easily distinguish between them! |
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance with your job search or executive recruitment.
With best wishes,
Marilyn Jones
Executive Director
mexec
1300 0 MEXEC
