Interim R&D Director, Magstim
The Client
Magstim develops specialist neurotechnology used by clinicians and researchers, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG) systems. Its work brings together advanced engineering, scientific research and medical applications.
Keeping product development moving in a business like this depends on clear technical direction, and on someone who can hold research, engineering and commercial priorities together.
The Requirement
This was a role for a senior technical leader who could take responsibility quickly in a highly specialised environment. The person had to combine scientific understanding with practical experience of leading product development.
Medical technology brings its own expectations around quality, regulation and reliability, and the interim would need to work comfortably within them. They also had to communicate well in two directions: with technical experts who know their field in depth, and with senior management.
The Solution
Novo built the search around senior technical leaders who had run multidisciplinary R&D teams and turned complex technology into commercially relevant products. We looked closely at how each candidate had handled development planning and engineering governance, using our healthcare and life sciences network as the starting pool.
Our assessment covered:
- Leadership of multidisciplinary R&D and engineering teams
- Development planning, prioritisation and resource allocation
- Work with clinical and research stakeholders
- Objective review of existing programmes
- Credibility with established specialists
The Outcome
The interim R&D Director appointed by Novo gave Magstim continuity in R&D leadership. Development priorities had a clear owner again.
The interim also became an effective link between the technical teams and the wider business.
