Investors in People
Link Technologies is committed to the training and development of staff at all levels. We were awarded Investors In People status (www.investorsinpeople.co.uk) in 1998. We have successfully used this programme as a means of staff development ever since, being re-accredited on a three-yearly cycle, most recently in 2007.
Key People
Michael J. McLean, Ph.D., Chairman
Mick manages a successful consultancy business, specialising in providing business advice to companies in the biotechnology sector, with activities spanning speciality chemicals, diagnostics and novel therapeutics. Now based in Manchester, England, he previously lived for two years in Paris, France, where he was interim CEO of two cancer vaccine start-ups. He joined Link Technologies as Chairman in 2007. Before moving to Paris at the end of 2005 he was based in Boston as President of Avecia's DNA Medicines business, which he led from its inception in the mid-1990s to being the leading manufacturer of cGMP oligonucleotides.
He is a trained chemist, obtaining his Ph.D. in nucleic acids chemistry with Dick Walker at the University of Birmingham, England. He then did two post-docs in molecular biology and biophysics, first at the University of Alabama at Birmingham with Bob Wells, and then at the University of Cambridge with Mike Waring, before joining ICI Diagnostics and starting his industrial career.
Mick has over 25 years experience in the nucleic acids field, ranging from basic research to leadership of businesses in both manufacturing and drug development.
He hopes one day to own his own vineyard!
Dr Mike Gray, Managing Director
Mike also spent some time as Production Director during Link's formative years. He gained a B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Organophosphorus Chemistry, both from Leicester University, England. Prior to co-establishing Link Technologies, Mike spent five years with GD Searle & Company (working first in radio-labelled drug analogue synthesis and then process development and scale-up to pilot plant), and three years as Production Manager for the specialist biotechnology company Cruachem Ltd. He has particular expertise in ISO 9000 and GMP quality management systems.
In his spare time, Mike works with the John Muir Trust (http://www.jmt.org/) and is passionate about conserving Scotland's wild land.
Dr John Bremner, Business Development Director
John joined us in March 1999, having been a non-executive director since the Company's inception. He has now assumed responsibility for all aspects of Link Technologies' business - both in direct sales and in partnerships. He has a B.Sc. (Hons) and Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Before joining Link to take up his present position, John was head of the Biotechnology Group at Scottish Enterprise. There he led a specialist team supporting the development of the biotechnology industry in Scotland, with particular emphasis on assisting and investing in start-up biotech development companies.
John's ambition is to travel the world's great railway journeys, starting on the Trans-Siberian Express.
Dr Douglas Picken, Research Director
Douglas heads our research & development programme and directs our custom synthesis facility. He has acquired over 20 years experience in nucleotide chemistry since gaining his B.Sc. (Hons) and Ph.D. from the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Before co-establishing Link Technologies, he was a founder member and director of Cruachem Ltd. Douglas has worked in many areas of biotechnology and has particular expertise in synthetic organic chemistry and extensive knowledge of biochemistry.
He is also an Honorary Lecturer in the Division of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biomedical & Life Sciences, at the University of Glasgow.
Given the opportunity, Douglas would like to spend his time growing oranges and breeding tropical fish.