Consultancy is not new to me. The labs where I grew up, professionally speaking, were in the Netherlands, then Singapore, then a small town in Scotland where we ran yeast processes in bioreactors the size of a small house. Across almost 25 years in the biopharmaceutical and food industry, I have moved between company roles and consultancy more than once; senior consulting roles along the way, a start-up team that launched a product in the US, and most recently a CMC program I carried towards Phase III. So when I joined Progress, I knew exactly what I was choosing, and why.

Over the years I have found I am happiest either working for small biotech companies or working as a consultant. What particularly draws me to a consultancy environment like Progress is the chance to collaborate with other experienced consultants and contribute to a wide variety of projects across different organizations. I appreciate the flexibility and dynamic nature of the work, where I can focus on delivering high-quality results without becoming entangled in internal company politics. I enjoy staying objective while still driving success for the client. The parts of a career I enjoy most are the transitions: the first weeks on a new problem, a technology transfer that finally clicks, a stuck team that starts moving again.

Having consulted before, I did not take the decision to join Progress lightly. And now, more than a year in, I can say what actually sets it apart. It is not the model; plenty of firms offer that. It is the values, and the fact that they are real rather than a slogan on a wall: put people first, keep developing, and simply deliver high-quality work. After 25 years, you learn to tell the places that say this from the places that mean it, and Progress means it.

That shows up most in the people. On one of my assignments, I worked together with three other Progress colleagues on a challenging project, helping set up and qualify a new GMP import hub for cell therapy products. Working alongside colleagues like that was easily one of the highlights of my time here so far. And even when you are the only Progress consultant at a client, you are never really on your own. The company is full of serious experts who share what they know the moment you ask. It feels like a family in the best sense: people take the work seriously and take care of each other, and monthly team meetings and events throughout the year keep the faces familiar.

Something I had not found elsewhere is how broadly Progress thinks about growth. Development here is not only technical or project-related; there is genuine room to grow as a person, even spiritually, if that is what helps you do your best work. Coming from environments where ‘development’ often meant another certificate, that stuck with me.

I have been doing this kind of work for a long time, in several settings. Now, a year into Progress, it still feels fresh. That, more than anything, is what I would tell someone considering it: if you have built real expertise and value the freedom to just use it well, this is a good place to do exactly that.