Sarah Thomas, VP, Client Services Development Director, CMC Connect

Early in my working life, I joined a leadership development consultancy in a project management role. The consultancy worked across a wide range of projects, including large-scale, face-to-face group training programmes, one-on-one coaching and e-learning delivered across a large client base, which included pharmaceutical companies. I learnt so much during my time at the consultancy that has been beneficial throughout my career, but the one thing that really had a huge impact on my career path was the opportunity it gave me to work with consultants who specialised in people development. I studied for a Chartered Management Institute-accredited Certificate in Management to help me to really understand the fundamentals of people management. My time at the consultancy truly lit a fire inside me and sparked my passion for professional learning and development, which remains with me today.

After leaving the consultancy I joined McCann Health Medical Communications. Initially my focus was on digital projects due to my prior experience with e-learning; however, over the course of my career at McCann Health Medical Communications, I have had the opportunity to work on the full suite of MedComms deliverables. I’ve been here for 10 years and have progressed along the CMC Connect Client Services team career pathway. I have worked with a wide variety of clients and across a number of accounts. On some of the accounts I have worked on I have been the only Client Services team member, on others I have played a key role in leading large teams; it all depends on the size of the account and the needs of the client team.

My current role is VP, Client Services Development Director in CMC Connect. This is an important role for our business as it supports our Client Services team members with their onboarding and their ongoing learning and development, leading to fulfilling and rewarding careers. It’s a varied role that allows me to work with Client Services team members across CMC Connect and with colleagues throughout our wider business. Through working with the wider McCann Health Medical Communications team, I have been involved in content development for, and delivery of, group training sessions. It’s very exciting to be in this role and to get to work hands-on with people in a way that keeps my personal and business values at the forefront of everything I do!

If you’re considering a career in MedComms, but are concerned that you don’t have the right educational or vocational experience, don’t be deterred. The Client Services role is extremely varied (it’s no cliché when we say no two projects are the same) and there’s plenty of opportunities for new starters to learn and develop on the job and to bring their individual strengths and experience into the role.

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This personal profile first appeared in the FirstMedCommsJob careers guide, The business of medical communications: a guide to getting started in account management, published January 2022

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