Our Meet the Team series is back, shedding light on our Contract Manufacturing business with our CDMO Business Development Manager, Matthew Krolak. Matthew has been with Eakin Healthcare’s Surgical therapy area for almost two years. Here, we learn about his role, his goals for the year and his previous experience as a BBC journalist…
Tell us a little bit about your role
My brief is to expand and grow our third-party services business offering, which consists of contract ethylene oxide sterilisation, assembly, folding and packing of devices or garments like surgical gowns, and also contract manufacturing, for example plastics injection moulding.
What does an average day look like for you?
One of the most stimulating things about my job is the fact no two days are the same. Each day may have elements of managing the contracts of the existing customers, addressing any commercial issues that arise, e.g. dropping or increasing volumes, meeting new customers and hosting on site visits, prospecting for new business and researching the market or gathering business intelligence.
Internally, I am conducting a dialogue with colleagues to make sure that we have the resources to tackle new opportunities. If this is not enough variety, I may be responding to tenders, preparing proposals, dealing with enquiries and speaking with potential delivery partners, like our ETO sterilisation validation and equipment contractor. Occasionally, there are trips to trade shows and conferences. Finally, I am involved in the preparation of several business cases, both on the CDMO and surgical instruments side.
What do you like most about your role?
The variety and the potential for starting new business relationships. Being the face of an impressive, innovative company and meeting new people.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
Responding to and hopefully winning a new NHS tender for gown packing and sterilisation.
What is your career background?
In the latest part of my career, I worked in plastics, medical plastics, medical devices and contract manufacturing but I have also been a BBC World Service journalist and broadcaster, teacher of English in a secondary school, linguist, translator and interpreter. Somewhere along the way, I also started and ran my own successful consultancy business.
What do you admire most about Eakin Healthcare’s Surgical therapy area?
It has to be the genuine family feel, warmth and enthusiasm that I encounter at Eakin at every step. I have yet to meet a colleague who would be anything other than utterly professional, friendly and supportive – that’s truly an inspiration!
Tell us something that people won’t know about you.
“Matthew” is an approximate translation of my official Polish first name “Maciej”. I have become fed up with the continual need to spell my name to people and adopted the translated version.
If you are interested in our CDMO business, please email matthew.krolak@eakinhealthcare.com
Eakin Surgical is a manufacturer of high-quality single use surgical instruments that are sold worldwide. Our solutions have been designed in response to the growing concerns over the cleaning of reusable fine lumen instruments – which are associated with high risks of patient-to-patient cross-infection.
We work closely with healthcare professionals to identify where products can be improved and bring to market innovative solutions that offer surgical teams the reliable, practical and flexible tools that they rely on – without compromising on the high quality, ease of use and functionality of the reusable equivalent, and while still delivering optimal value and safety for patients.