Leap forward in your career through BIA's program of transformation

In this blog Albert Maguire - King, Media and Communications Executive at BIA, outlines and explores BIA's revolutionary BIA MAC Leadership Programme (LeaP).

Often, the most powerful revolutions are not those that adorn the front pages of newspapers due to governments being overthrown. Rather, the revolutions that truly endure are revolutions in thinking. A lasting, tangible change in the way in which things are run and operated. This, I propose, is what is on offer in BIA's LeaP program. High praise? Certainly. Yet, through peer-to-peer learning, site visits, and the transference of new habits and disciplines into the routines of participants, those taking part in the scheme find themselves born anew, their attitude and outlook on business transformed.

 I have witnessed first-hand the work of the program and have seen the precise, undiluted product on offer. Namely, I have been present to see the one-to-one mentorship offered from industry leaders to support career growth and leadership development.

Our recent feedback survey correlates my experience. 42 people responded to our Leap feedback request and provided striking results. 76% of respondents reported career progression since completing LeaP. Among these:

• 21 received a promotion within their company or institution.
• 2 experienced a role change within their organisation.
• 5 advanced through a role change at a new organisation.
• 4 achieved a promotion while moving organisation.

Any organisation is only as strong as the people comprising it. So too is any sector only as dynamic and innovative as those who work within it. Thus, biomanufacturing leadership is essential infrastructure without which the sector as a whole cannot thrive. Through LeaP, a change in mindset is produced, which translates into tangible, improved results. When someone becomes more skilled through the program and moves from a senior operator to a team leader, or from a project role into a position with hiring and budget responsibility, the organisation they work for, and the sector as a whole, level up with them.

The value of LeaP stems in part from seeing how other people solve the same day-to-day problems you face but also in being exposed to unforeseen scenarios and being navigated towards a solution which can then be seamlessly applied in the participants' daily work routine. Those interested in LeaP should see the above statistics not as a sales pitch themselves but rather as the inevitable result of what is on offer through participation in the scheme.

As one recent participant said:

The BIA LeaP Programme was an invaluable experience for me. The visits to other BioIndustry companies, and the knowledge sharing that came with this has been incredible. It helped me to build strong connections within my field which has lead to great collaboration and problem solving within my day-to-day role.

Run in small cohorts of 12 participants to ensure focused, tailored learning and structured networking, the initiative is designed specifically for emerging managers in biopharmaceuticals and cell and gene therapy. To date, LeaP has hosted 8 cohorts, which supported 164 participants from more than 50 BIA member companies dispersed all across the UK. The programme mixes site visits, tours, seminars and leadership talks, and wraps up with a team project that tackles real challenges faced in bioprocessing today.

If you work for a BIA member company and are looking to LeaP forward in your career, contact Netty and get on board. If you are not eligible to apply yet are interested in the future of the program, my experience suggests that it will serve as a further poignant example of BIA building a foundation stone through which the entire industry is strengthened and moulded for the good of all.