About
I started my career out in scientific research at the University of Liverpool’s MRC Centre for Drug Safety Science where I obtained my PhD and spent a number of years attempting to figure out why drugs fail in trials or cause toxic side effects. Through this, I got to work on projects with a few of the world’s major pharmaceutical companies, which helped to tie back my research to something practical and commercial, something which always felt important to me – I’m less interested in science for science’s sake, and more on the benefits that it can bring.
After several years in the lab and a failed attempt at setting up a life science business with my colleagues, I realised that this wasn’t the career path for me. Happily, this failure highlighted other opportunities and resulted in me pivoting to a career in M&A and financial advisory at Grant Thornton, where I also qualified as an accountant and supported mainly healthcare and life science businesses through fundraisings, exits and restructuring. I enjoyed this role, however I always felt slightly detached from the decision-making process and so when the opportunity arose to move into a corporate development role, I leapt at it. This led me to spend a number of years with Verastar, a Vitruvian Partners-investment in the business services space, where I led acquisitions and helped the board set the company’s strategy. What my time at Verastar made me realise was that I much prefer the dynamic nature of working with early-stage businesses and that’s what led me to take on my current role.
At Mercia I have two hats. I am responsible for early-stage health tech and life science investments from a new deal and portfolio support perspective. In addition, as a proud northerner, I’m always on the look out for exciting businesses across a range of different sectors in the North West, where I live, and more broadly across the north.
I’m always on the look out for founders who are passionate about doing something positively impactful.