Meet the Evaluate Team: Jim Chuck

Over four years into his Evaluate career, we thought it was time to find out a little more about Jim Chuck, one of our sales leaders who helps ensure that our clients find value in our solutions. He’s been working with and leading commercial functions for over 20 years and as well as being extremely enthusiastic about helping organisations meet strategic goals, he’s a leader who loves to see his team thrive…and ideally will celebrate their successes with a little glass of something Scottish.

1. What do you think is going to have the biggest impact on the pharma industry in the next five years?
   The pharma industry is being impacted by a lot of industry specific as well as global trends. The product and technology landscapes are changing rapidly, and pharma is not immune from the broader global supply chain and inflationary pressures. A major trend, close to my heart that should provide a tailwind, is the advancement of digital, analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) based tools. I’ve been fortunate to work for organisations at the leading edge of data science for a decade and in my opinion the possible future applications of AI for biopharma will truly be a game-changer.
2. What’s the one piece of advice you would give a biotech CEO?
   I've spent a large part of my career working with, and working for, early-stage companies focused on growth and raising capital. While biotechs have their own, specific challenges, many of the issues for these companies are common across sectors. I can summarise my advice into three simple messages:
   1 - Focus on your science but always in the context of the market opportunity. Early commercial planning and validation really boosts your chances of success.  
   2 - Surround yourself with an outstanding and diverse team. Don’t settle for mediocrity.
   3 - Don’t be afraid to fail.
3. How did you end up working in this industry?
   I've worked for world leaders within the Information Technology and Services domain for over 20 years. Always with a focus on helping organisations achieve their strategic goals by leveraging better data, analytics and software. Prior to Evaluate, I worked for a data-science based startup working in the field of Intellectual Property (IP). This experience of leading-edge data science, IP/innovation and agile working led me to Evaluate which was my first experience of pharma. 
4. What’s the best thing about your role?
   I’ve worked in commercial roles my entire professional career and in leadership for 13 years. Being a commercial leader is challenging - you must take the rough with the smooth. At Evaluate, we help biopharma companies, and their advisers and investors, make better decisions to help patients gain access to life-saving therapies. We truly work as one team with high levels of accountability and ownership. The best thing about being a sales leader at Evaluate is seeing individuals and teams thrive in achieving their goals that directly align to our mission.
5. What’s your favourite drink?
   Scotch Whisky. I only started to appreciate whisky about 10 years ago; it’s such a complex drink that's packed with flavour characteristics that taste wildly different from region to region. Scotland isn't a big country, but the regional nuances to taste, look and smell are phenomenal. I also enjoy whisky from around the world and I’m always open to trying something new so recommendations welcome!
6. What really irritates you?
   Littering and improper waste disposal. From road verges, to parks, to footpaths and mountain tops, litter is a big problem. The negative impacts on wildlife, degrading and contaminating land and oceans, its unattractiveness and the sheer cost of clean-up annoy me intensely - not least because it’s entirely within everyone’s control to stop it. Please don’t neglect our environment.
7. What are you most looking forward to at BIO Europe 2023?
   Meeting people in person. Since the pandemic I find myself spending less time with people face-to-face. Whist the conference is intense and demanding, I typically come back energised with a renewed sense of purpose to support our partners and customers achieve their goals. 
   One of the things I am most looking forward to is our Customer Advisory Board dinner. It’s great to be able to combine a social environment with business and it’s a really good opportunity for us to share our roadmap and to take on board feedback from clients so we really understand what they want and need from us. We’ve run a couple of these sessions already this year, and some of our recent innovations, such as our partnership with Galen Growth, our new CDMO solution and our expanded Competitive Intelligence practice, are all things that we’ve shared with our CAB members.  I’m looking to doing more of that…perhaps with a small glass of whisky to round things off!