After less than a year in the private sector I was promoted to VP of a NASDAQ-listed biotech responsible for scaling the company and building an energized and dynamic corporate culture. I hired 100 roles (from EA to CFO) and was a true player-coach, working directly to the Board on strategy while always rolling my sleeves up to execute alongside my team (of 11 at its largest, across TA, HR, payroll, internal comms, L&D). My background in diplomacy meant I also directed small teams working on atai’s non-profit, policy & lobbying work.

In Dec 2020, driven by desire to test myself in a challenging new environment and a passion for novel treatments for mental health, I made the unusual jump from the UK diplomatic service to early employee in a hypergrowth biotech startup.In this role I managed the day to day activities of our CEO and took ownership of key strategic projects. I oversaw construction of IPO narrative and materials, working with comms agencies to deliver media interviews, promotional videos, and written materials. I managed a number of key compliance workstreams for a successful IPO at $3bn valuation, and established key processes in an uncertain environment including running Executive Committee and all staff meetings. I am very proud that I also set up atai Impact, company’s non-profit arm. atai was the first biotech to include commitment to Pledge 1% in NASDAQ S1 statement. This was my personal project and was a key part of building the kind of company I wanted to work for.

This demanding and high profile role involved managing an office of five private secretaries; acting as policy advisor and trouble shooter on policies including US Foreign Policy, Middle East, and Turkey; running forward looking (red teaming) and backward looking (lessons learned) exercises; planning and executing extensive international travel; and running the day to day operations of one of HMG's most senior policy makers.

In Madrid, I served as lead on Brexit coordination for the British diplomatic network in Spain. In Paris, I was policy lead of French regional affairs. In Brussels, I worked on UK Common Foreign and Security Policy, negotiating common positions between the 28 states on international issues from Libya to China.

Generated new weekly content for CFR blogs and online factsheet.Edited contributions from a team of five writers.

Assisted asylum seekers, offering both personal support and help with the administrative processes involved in seeking refugee

Drafted reports, planned and attended events, regularly updated constituency database, implemented new electronic classibication of mail, organised the Wentworth Small Business Awards 2009.