Charlotte Read is a Key Account Manager for Krka UK. She shares some insights into her long career in the human and veterinary pharmaceutical industries, the importance of teamwork, the challenges of working away from home and her admiration for the way that veterinary and associated industries work together in the interests of animal welfare.
Please summarise your journey:
- BSc Hons Microbiology (Leeds University). Always loved science since school. I still sometimes proudly quote that I won the Rutland Business women’s prize for GCSE results in Maths and Science in 1995!
- Human pharma for nine years (LEO Pharma) – I enjoyed the company and the colleagues I worked with but overall human pharma wasn’t for me and I made the move to veterinary when I could. I saw the light!
- Veterinary pharma for 15 years (Ceva & Krka) – I started as a sales rep and am now Key Account Manager all species. Originally I worked on the livestock side which I love, but in the last three years I have moved into more companion animal as well, which as a self-confessed mad cat lady, has been really enjoyable as well.
Describe your typical day from waking to sleeping:
- Walk or home weights work out first thing – or I try to! Had a busy year last year and health took a back seat, so trying to rectify that this year.
- Bit of a house tidy and sort, the usual house life admin!
- Lots of driving for friendly customer visits. Work can take me anywhere in the UK. No one day is the same and I like the variability.
- I might find myself in a rural vet practice, the head office of a corporate, out on a farm or in an exhibition, busy working on the stand.
- Catch up on admin either once home or in a hotel if I’m away for the night. On average I will be away a night or two per week.
- Dinner – usually a batch cook from the freezer. I like home cooked food but don’t have the enthusiasm or time to cook from scratch every day. So, a big batch cook monthly sees me though. You can’t beat a spaghetti bolognaise!
- Zumba in an evening or Saturday morning. I try and get there twice a week.
- Netflix and streaming and all the usually distractions before bed, when really, I should just be reading a book. I would hope they would say kind, caring, sociable and approachable
What has been your top success and what have you learned from this?
I think my top work-related success was actually just last year. A few people left the management team at work and we had to run very lean for the year. I took on a role to help support us through, which was very out of my comfort zone. At times we had the usual challenges that any business does of someone leaving, illness or logistical issues, but we came through it all as a strong team and genuinely still smiling. It was also a very successful year given some of the challenges and therefore one I am very proud of. We found new ways of working at our best together as a team, with learning points we have taken forward into this year.
Recent personal success would be buying my first house on my own and starting some renovations to make it my perfect home. Although never again!
What has been your biggest challenge, setback or failure and how have you overcome it? How did you grow or change as a result?
I was made redundant from my role in human pharma. And as a young women with a big mortgage and no savings, this was a very worrying time. It was not a great pay-out and would not have lasted long. I decided that rather than panic and apply for everything, I’d take a bit of time to decide what I would really like to do as I hadn’t been finding my recent role very fulfilling. As I knew people who worked in veterinary pharma, I decided to reach out and do some shadowing to see if it was something I would enjoy. My local vet practice kindly let me spend a day there and I organised to shadow a vet pharma friend for a day. I realised straight away it would suit me far better and I was very keen to join. So, from then my heart was set on a veterinary pharma role. Luckily, I was successful in my first application; thank you Ceva!
“I couldn’t have got where I am today without top colleagues. I have been so lucky to work with amazing teams and colleagues throughout my career. It is what gets me through the tougher times with a smile on my face.”
What compromises have you had to make and what, if anything, could have helped?
Like many in the industry, my role does take me away from home for significant periods of time, particularly at certain times of year, and that can be tough on work/life balance. This can even make it less exciting when organising weekends away with friends and family as there’s always a feeling of, “Well I’ve only just got back, I’d like to stay at home for a bit.” But I have learnt to embrace it rather than just fester in a hotel room (although sometimes that is needed and it’s a welcome break from home life). I try and make contact with a friend locally to catch up with them for dinner and I’ll try and visit the local area to have a wander and do the tourist side. My favourite is when I’m near the sea as I am very land locked in Rutland, so to be able to have a walk on the beach is real treat.
What advice would you have given to your younger self, that you would now give to others wanting to follow your path?
Have more confidence in yourself. In my early years I didn’t have the confidence to voice ideas and comments like I would now. Maybe some colleagues would prefer me back then….
But I think it’s so important to add constructively to discussions and meetings at work and it has taken me a long time to accept and see that my contribution is valued by colleagues.
What do you like about working in animal health pharma?
I think it’s a really positive industry looking at all aspects of the welfare of animals. With regards to pharmaceuticals, I like how closely we all work together: vets, pharma and associated industries. This is a much more positive working relationship than I have seen in other industries and I think everyone benefits because of that.
What song gets you on the dance floor?
The Vengabus, by Vengaboys!
What else would you like to achieve in life?
I’d like to try and volunteer more. I feel there are a lot of lonely elderly people in society and I really would like to get involved with doing more there.
Also to try and take on some new hobbies. I have an upholstery course coming up as a start.
I couldn’t have got where I am today without…
Top colleagues. I have been so lucky to work with amazing teams and colleagues throughout my career. I thrive in that kind of atmosphere and it is what gets me through the tougher times with a smile on my face.
What are your three top likes?
Cats, Formula 1 and family
What are your three top dislikes? (This can be anything from learner drivers and traffic queues, to cliched advice you hear).
Unfairness, flying and Crocs (the shoe rather than the animal)
Many thanks to Charlotte Read for sharing her story to inspire veterinary women to aspire and grow into their full career potential.
If you would like to share your story please get in touch at info@veterinarywoman.co.uk
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