Andrew Peters

A typical day 

A typical day at the office is really the same as for many others, time spent in front of a computer screen, meetings and on the phone.  Our work involves a lot of data analysis and planning and coordination of our external projects.  Often late in the day, because they are in Seattle (-8 hours relative to UK time) we have conference calls with the Gates foundation to review progress and plan next steps particularly in relation to the grant monitoring work.  We write reports and papers just like others, we organise international ‘Community of Practice’ meetings and we travel to our ‘target’ countries to manage projects.

How did I get here?

RVC graduate 1972. Very soon developed a career-long focus of wanting to improve health and productivity of farm animals.  Short period in general practice then PhD in animal physiology (milk protein synthesis) at Nottingham. Post doc in bovine reproductive endocrinology and then Meat and Livestock Commission beef specialist but also continuing academic work in endocrinology.  Interest in hormones took me into the EU politics and regulation of beef hormones in the 1980s and then as regulatory manager in the animal health industry where I developed an expertise in vaccines.  I had always wanted the Chair of Animal Health at the RVC and was appointed in 1993.  However I didn’t much like being an academic and was then headhunted by Pfizer Animal Health (now Zoetis) to lead international vaccine development with periods both in UK and US. Left in 2005 after life-saving heart surgery and set up my own consulting company in vaccines Arpexas Ltd. Gravitated from the south of England towards Edinburgh as lots of things happening here in life sciences.  GALVmed became an early client and I developed a strong interest in tropical disease, registering the East Coast fever vaccine in Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi.  Became interim CEO for a year, but also worked as VP Animal Health for a Colorado based biotech AspenBio Pharma who were developing recombinant gonadotrophins. Licensed the technology to CEVA who will launch these products in the near future.  Went to SRUC to build their international business, helped form CTLGH, developed strong relationship with Gates foundation.  They offered me my own grant and it’s called SEBI-livestock and so here I am now at the Dick Vet.

Career setbacks

They say everyone is allowed one career mistake.  I think I have made more.  When I went to the RVC as Prof of Animal Health it had been my key ambition and I thought it the pinnacle of my career.  However one day the phone rang and I was offered a senior post in industry and then I realized I was not happy in what I was doing so I made the break.  My friends and colleagues thought I was crazy to walk away from what was a prestigious academic appointment, to move to the ‘dark side’ and sometimes it was difficult to adjust.  It was a tough life but it taught me so much about applied science, rigour and quality and most importantly leadership.  Then after my heart surgery the company kindly decided I would not be productive anymore so they moved me out.  There I was, aged 55 post heart surgery, redundant, not a good bet for anyone.  So I set up my company and made a reasonable living from consultancy in medicines development for 10-12 years, but again it was tough. So I often reflect on the career choices I have made and on the risks taken and probably one day I’ll decide what I really want to be.

Leadership

I was possibly almost mid-career before I realized the importance or even relevance of leadership skills. Up until that time I had merely considered that everyone is judged on their own merits and they sink or swim alone.  When thrust into a management role in the Hoechst company in the late 80’s, for the first time I suddenly had people relying on me for support and leadership.  What was more I had to delegate stuff.  These skills to me now are almost more important than the scientific / veterinary skills we learn in our conventional education but most managers have to learn them on the job and possibly like me don’t realise their critical importance until quite late in life.  A couple of weeks ago I was explaining to my 30 something year old son whose job may currently be at risk, “why do you think I need to keep working then?”  “It’s because you love it, you wouldn’t know what else to do with your time and because you think no-one can do it as well as you. You certainly don’t need the money.” he retorted.