Kirsty Crame-van Nierop, Director of Shiaba Consulting, Specialist in Clinical Drug Development, in Broken Hiring Cycles, IND Wins, and Surviving Biotech Burnout
In this episode, I talked with Kirsty Crame-van Nierop, Director of Shiaba Consulting, Specialist in Clinical Drug Development. Kirsty shares her career journey, including her transition from aspiring vascular surgeon to a leader in personalized targeted therapies. We went over her key career highlights, and the challenges faced during COVID, and she gave valuable career bits of advice.
Kirsty gave insights on the importance of hiring the right people in clinical development, the balance between using consultants and in-house expertise, the cultural fit in hiring, and her experiences in the job search process, highlighting the importance of communication and feedback in recruitment.
Here’s what you’re in for:
- The problem with "unicorn" hiring expectations.
- Why the best hiring decisions often begin three to six months too late.
- When outsourcing fails: why early-stage biotech still needs in-house decision-makers.
Timestamps
01:56 From Vascular Surgery Dreams to Unexpected Beginnings
04:41 The High of an IND Win, and the Low of Leading Through Lockdown
07:25 The Career Advice That Changed Her Trajectory
09:34 Why Early Decisions Make or Break Biotech
17:52 In-House vs. Outsourced Roles
19:15 “What Do We Actually Need?” – A Biotech Hiring Dilemma
28:22 The Harsh Reality Behind Biotech Applications
32:36 The Value of Long-Term Professional Relationships
About Kirsty
Kirsty Crame is a seasoned medical doctor of over 12 years of experience in drug development. She got her MD in Amsterdam and since then has worked across therapeutic areas, diabetes, cancer, et cetera. But most, if not all, of her clinical development career, has been using personalized targeted therapies to find new cures to cancer. Outside of her professional life, Kirsty is a dedicated mother of two boys. She brings the same energy and discipline from the clinic to the field. She's an avid field hockey player and embraces an active lifestyle that keeps her balanced and thriving. Kirsty and I know each other as she was a candidate and then client of mine at Medigene.
Connect with Kirsty:
About me
My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.
In 2023, I decided to launch my firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.
Connect with me:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/
- Website: https://www.discera-search.com/
Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.
