Liz is one of the brilliant individuals who has been with us for around 15 years! We were excited to learn more about the Client Service side of medcomms from her.
Q. How have you progressed in your career to get to where you are now?
Well, before joining Prime, I worked at AstraZeneca in the International CV Conference team and prior to that as Meetings Manager for the AZ UK field force.
I joined the Events Team at Prime Global as Events Manager, flying here, there and everywhere, prior to progressing to Events Director and managing the team and direction.
At this point the Events team merged into Account Management and I sidestepped as an Account Manager to broaden my account management and financial experience. I then progressed to Senior Account Manager, Account Director and Associate Client Services Director through to my current role as Client Services Director for Prime, an agency within Prime Global.
Q. What have been your highlights across the past 15 years of working at Prime Global?
There have been so many highlights and incredible opportunities along the way! I can honestly say it’s ALWAYS been interesting, rewarding and diverse. Also challenging (at times), but never boring!
I’d have to say my key highlights include having the opportunity to support cutting-edge, innovative and ground-breaking medicines, and knowing that these have made a difference to the lives of patients worldwide. Another highlight would be the opportunity to work with many leading pharma companies and inspiring industry leaders.
Then, of course, being a part of many amazing teams and working with incredible colleagues and making some great friends. I love working with people and I get a lot of personal satisfaction from seeing team members develop their skills, knowledge and confidence to (really successfully) progress their careers.
It’s also been rewarding to have been involved in so many key accounts from the beginning, laying strong foundations to build long-lasting client relationships, many of which are still with Prime Global today.
Q. What have been the biggest changes you have experienced at Prime Global?
The growth! Prime Global has grown so much since I first joined, not just physically (now six agencies and two consultancies) but also in terms of the services and innovative solutions we offer – it’s been an amazing and exciting journey to have been a part of. That said, the culture is still very similar, even with the large number of people we have spread across the world; it’s still friendly, supportive and relaxed.
And even though we are much a much larger group now, we are still accessible, and doors are always open to all. I still often pop in to catch up with Graeme (Peterson, our Chairman and CEO).
Q. Now you help drive one of the agencies forward, what are your biggest tips for any new starters interested in joining?
I’d say to those without medcomms experience, find out more about the industry and the agency prior to your interview and come prepared to talk about yourself. It’s a two-way process allowing you both to find out more about each other.
When in your first role, it’s key to remember that it takes time to get to know what you are (supposed) to be doing – you will definitely get there. Always ask for support and guidance (and it doesn’t have to be from your immediate line manager). Be determined and keep an open mind!
Q. What would you say to your 14-year-old self, based on everything you’ve learnt?
This depends on which stage of life you are at, but right now:
You have always been determined, remember that… and get a horse again!
Q. Regarding the work you do surrounding events, how do you see these changing to become more innovative and creative over the next 10 years?
10 years is too long to call it and I expect we will continue to see many changes to our more traditional event platforms given the continually evolving advances in technology. Moving forward, I think we will see a demand for a mixture of live and virtual (hybrid) events with more live streaming, webinars and webcasts, extending the opportunity to communicate and engage with those unable to attend live events. COVID-19 has shown us how quickly the industry (and world) can change. We have the capacity, technology, bandwidth and ability to change our ways of communicating. Something which I will be excited to see evolve.
We wish you luck for your maternity leave and we are glad to have got some time with you before you go!
If you’re interested in working for Prime Global, look at our available roles here: https://primeglobalpeople.com/join-us/
