When Your Next Job Is A Step Back From Where You Were, How Do You Manage, And What Have Been Some Of The Valuable Lessons/Insights Gained From The Experience?

MY PREVIOUS COMPANY WAS ESSENTIALLY IN STARTUP MODE FOR 13 YEARS while my new job is at a much larger public company that is at the forefront of advancing curative treatments for intractable diseases. While I do miss being involved across the multiple functions of drug discovery and development, this loss is offset by not having to worry about making payroll and dealing with the other far less glamorous aspects of being CEO of a very small company.

Though I loved leading a company, I am reminded that much professional growth can come from relearning to influence without authority. Further, working to establish credibility among a new group of colleagues on a much larger and technically very different playing field has reenergized me professionally.

BRANDI SIMPSON, former board chair of BioUtah and CEO of Navigen, is now a VP of business and corporate development at Voyager Therapeutics.