Meet our Team: Catriona Clark

In the first edition of CMAC's "Meet our Team" series in 2024, we are thrilled to showcase the journey and accomplishments of Catriona Clark, CMAC’s Skills Development Lead.

Before joining CMAC, Catriona grew up in Inverness, working in roles at a local B&B, Clarks shoe shop, and assisting her older sister with the Sunday paper round. Catriona left school at 16 with Higher qualifications, worked full-time at Alliance and Leicester bank for 18 months, and later shifted to part-time when she returned to education.

Catriona began her journey at the University of Strathclyde by studying Forensic and Analytical Chemistry, also doing a third year exchange programme at the University of Ontario. An elective class in x-ray crystallography sparked an interest in the subject, and became the focus of Catriona’s final year project and inspired her to pursue it further in her PhD (also at the University of Strathclyde).

Straight after completing her PhD in 2011, Catriona joined CMAC as a Knowledge Transfer Associate and, within 12 months, advanced to the position of Assistant Centre Manager. Catriona worked with CMAC until 2014, when she became Project Manager for the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC), also hosted at the University of Strathclyde. In 2022, she sought a career change and returned to CMAC in the role of Skills Development Lead.

“I left school at the age of 16 with little intentions of further education. Now, two degrees and over 20 years later, I still love working at Strathclyde and have a great passion for providing skills and opportunities for the younger generations.”

In her current role, Catriona focuses on developing skills and providing training for the use of industrial digital technologies (IDTs) relevant to the Pharma Sector. This is primarily done through Platform V (Network and Skills) at the Digital Medicines Manufacturing Research Centre (DM²), where she leads the support team responsible for project management, network and engagement activities, and CMAC’s online training platform. Additionally, she represents CMAC on the Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP) Skills group and has the role of Project Manager for the Digital Design and Manufacture of Amorphous Pharmaceuticals (DDMAP) project.

Catriona's day-to-day work involves a variety of tasks, ranging from engaging with industry partners to discuss their future skills needs, collaborating with the team and partners to develop training solutions for the CMAC SkillsFactory (the new online training platform), to supporting the team in preparations and delivery of events, board meetings, and reporting requirements. She said:

“I love the variety that working at CMAC allows, with the ability to engage in a wide range of activities. It is important that we encourage more young people to enter the industry, equip our students with the skills to work alongside digital technologies, and support the current workforce to enable them to succeed in the transition to using industrial digital technologies within pharma."

Catriona describes her proudest achievement as being able to balance working full-time with being a mum to three amazing children who inspire her on a daily basis. When she's not busy working, Catriona is often busy balancing mum duties, such as taking her daughter to highland dancing competitions, watching her son play in a football tournament, or building the world's biggest Thomas track. In her spare time, Catriona loves being outdoors and enjoys visiting her caravan she has in Glen Nevis, where she spends time with her three children, exploring the outdoors.

Catriona and her three children on an island walk

Catriona, her mum, and two of her children on a walk