Bekkie England recently joined Mtech Access as Director of People and Culture. In this interview, we learn about Bekkie’s career to date and what inspired her to join Mtech Access. Bekkie also shares some of her experiences since joining the team, including touring our offices.
What led you to pursue a career in HR?
I find people endlessly fascinating, as we are each unique but face common challenges and issues. This is why working in HR is so fulfilling. Plus, I studied Politics and Psychology at Oxford Brookes University, which is basically HR!
Over my career, my interest in people at work has evolved to better understand how to create a workplace where individuals and teams can thrive, and what leaders can do to facilitate this.
What motivated you to join Mtech Access?
When thinking about joining a company, I like to consider the culture and purpose of the business. Mtech Access stands out as a little unusual. The business was founded by three friends and has a clear people-first culture. This culture influences not only the employee experience but also the entire ethos of the organisation, which is about bringing new medicines and treatments to market to help improve patient outcomes. Becoming part of an organisation that has such a positive impact on people was irresistible.
It was also a great time to join the company, as we have recently become part of the Petauri™ group. Joining Petauri has created new opportunities and scope to work with colleagues across North America. After working in global engineering and manufacturing businesses, I’m excited to collaborate with colleagues across the group as we expand our offers internationally.
What have you been involved with during your first few weeks at Mtech Access?
From attending the all-company meeting just before I joined, to visiting all of our office locations, I have been speaking to as many people as possible in my first few weeks. It is clear that our employees are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about their work. Plus they really enjoy spending time together. At the all-company meeting, this included solving a murder mystery over dinner!
As this is a new industry for me, I have also been learning about how professional services work, and how the Mtech Access teams work together, as well as with partner organisations, to deliver client solutions.
When visiting our offices, I took the opportunity to follow up on this year’s employee engagement survey. One area of interest in the survey results was flexibility. Meeting colleagues, I asked how this currently works and how it can be improved further. As a result of this, we have now introduced ‘core hours’ to give greater flexibility over start and finish times. This balances the need to remain available for client or colleague contact with creating a truly positive work-life balance.
What did you take away from your visits to the different offices?
I was hugely impressed with how open and engaged all the teams were when discussing how we can continue to develop and evolve Mtech Access culture as we grow. Although many teams are based across multiple offices and host the vast majority of meetings via Teams®, there is a real sense of community in every office. This is partly due to the regular onsite attendance of 2 or 3 days each week, which is part of the company’s hybrid working pattern.
What have you learnt from your first interactions with the team?
Mtech Access provide a positive and encouraging environment where everyone, from recent graduates to seasoned professionals, is supported in their development. Senior leaders are very accessible, with contributions valued from all participants in any project workshop or meeting, which is a testament to the business’ commitment to team-based problem solving and nurturing a sense of shared endeavour.
What has surprised you?
Coming from the world of engineering and manufacturing, I have not previously worked in organisations with so many women in senior roles, which is great to see!
I was surprised to find that many people had stumbled into this industry after their academic studies instead of actively seeking those opportunities, as few had previously heard about this type of consultancy. This highlights the need to raise the profile of this industry as a viable option for STEM graduates, including those with bachelor’s and master's degrees, as well as PhDs. The company has also developed fabulous technical and experiential competency frameworks and career pathways, which ensures that new joiners have a good idea of how they can progress within Mtech Access.
If you could swap your expertise and role with a colleague from another team, who would you swap with?
The field of health economics is truly fascinating. Our teams create customised models and have innovative ways to present data analyses, which enables effective decision-making in specific therapy areas and geographies. I am in awe of the technical capabilities across the business. My focus will be on recruiting, developing, and retaining this top talent!
When you are not at work, what do you like to do?
I love travelling to new places, UK or overseas, to experience different cultures, food, and climates. I am lucky enough to have friends and family in Australia, Canada, North America, and across Europe, so I try to catch up with them as often as possible. Earlier this year, I visited my son in New York and recently visited Malaysia, Borneo, and Indonesia which was a real bucket-list trip.
If you are interested in joining our team at Mtech Access, please visit our careers page for details of our current vacancies.
