Meet our Team: Thomas McGlone

In the September edition of our 'Meet Our Team' series, we are delighted to celebrate Thomas McGlone, CMAC’s Senior Technical Operations Manager and Tier 2 Manager.

Thomas joined CMAC over 13 years ago, after completing a degree in Chemistry and a PhD in supramolecular chemistry with a specific group of materials called polyoxometalates, both at the University of Glasgow. During his PhD, he discovered some interesting new structures and was able to publish a lot, but he found it challenging to envision practical applications for these materials in the real world. This led him to take on industry roles at Fujifilm and later Syngenta, where he gained his first real experience in chemical engineering and scale-up, particularly in the area of continuous manufacturing. He shared:

“Shortly afterward, I joined the University of Strathclyde, just before CMAC was founded—I claim to be one of the founding members! When I started, there were about five of us and a few random pieces of equipment, nothing compared to what you see now.”

Thomas and CMAC team at Lab of the Future in Boston, USA

Thomas plays a key role in overseeing the operational aspects of CMAC, including our footprint at the Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC), health and safety, and ensuring smooth day-to-day operations. In recent times, Thomas has transitioned into a more strategic role, collaborating closely with the Directors on the National Facility Business Case and the overall Research Strategy. His responsibilities encompass a wide range of tasks, including negotiating with the University for additional resources, managing budgets, and coordinating with senior colleagues in Estates, Finance, and Procurement. Additionally, he collaborates closely with the CMAC Industry team, particularly in managing the Tier 2 portfolio, which provides essential technology resources and support to the CMAC programme. He also leads the analytical team within the National Facility.

With such a wide range of tasks and responsibilities, Thomas often says that no two days are the same, whether he's hosting visitors at CMAC’s facilities, coordinating with equipment engineers to support our extensive lab infrastructure, managing equipment resourcing, overseeing repairs and maintenance, or attending meetings. Currently, Thomas is helping with the reorganisation and expansion of the lab facilities in TIC to accommodate three major developments. He said:

“I can say without question that when our intended reorganisation/expansion is complete, our facilities will be second to none on a global scale.”

Thomas describes his biggest achievement at CMAC as managing the centre through the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented situation that required the team to develop new procedures. For his efforts in managing all the changes that had to be made in this time, Thomas was awarded a University medal, which he describes as a very memorable moment. He shared:

“My favourite part about CMAC, particularly because I have been there so long, is seeing so many people come through our facilities and programmes and going on to have successful and distinguished careers. This is particularly rewarding if I have been able to support someone directly, such as a line report or giving career advice to an early career researcher.”

In his spare time, Thomas enjoys playing and competing at snooker, running, reading Glasgow based novels and creative writing. He highly recommends being a part of social clubs and memberships of professional organisations. He said:

“When I’m reading CVs, technical competency will only get you so far. It’s these additional elements that give you a competitive edge and make you memorable. For example, I’ve always maintained my membership with the Royal Society of Chemistry, which has allowed me to network with new colleagues around the world, fund travel on a global scale, and currently, I am doing some freelance writing for them, combining a hobby with further professional development.”

Thomas recently wrote an article for Chemistry World on lab digitalisation and Industry 4.0. Read the article: https://www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/lab-digitalisation-and-industry-40/4019661.article

Thomas and the CMAC team at the Life Sciences Awards 2024

Thomas playing snooker

Thomas playing snooker