We're excited to introduce you to Michael Nold, Senior Director of Mass Spectrometry Core Facility at our Hamlin (NC) site. Michael has been with KBI for over nine years and we're especially grateful that he shared his story with us in this blog. We hope you enjoy getting to know Michael as much as we have.
My role is to provide clients with an exceptional business relationship and impactful results. I manage a team of talented and highly motivated mass spectrometrists, encourage and stimulate a group culture founded on communication, feedback, and collaborative problem-solving, and partner with other teams for the successful execution of client programs. I also support the business development and marketing teams to promote our innovative offerings and deliver messaging to prospective clients considering KBI.
While I was working on my Ph.D. in 1993, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully, she is now a healthy 91-year-old, but at the time, it was really hard on me. I am a big sports guy, and NC State basketball coach, Jimmy Valvano, was diagnosed with cancer around the same time. Less than two months before he passed, Jimmy gave an acceptance speech at the ESPY Awards, announcing his creation of a cancer research organization, with the motto “Don’t give up... Don’t ever give up.” That speech changed my life. It brought me back to my mom and the way we dealt with the situation we were in.
Ever since that moment, I have done my best to bring passion into everything I do. I am passionate about my family, my work, my team, and the people I am trying to help. When I ask myself why I chose KBI, it's because it got me closer to my passion for fighting cancer. We are manufacturing products that are going into the patient; how can I not be attracted to something that ignites that passion and helps people? Life is short and I don't plan on wasting it.
Because we are such a specialized part of the biopharma industry, working on a variety of projects that affect people's lives, there can be a feeling of pressure sometimes. When faced with this pressure to succeed in order to help others, your team unit must be strong, resilient, and always there for one another. My team is committed to helping each other achieve goals, find success, and ultimately provide clients with high-quality results and support.
Every person on the team is very driven and has specialized career interests. As we shuffle responsibilities to meet the needs of the team or hire new people, we make sure each team member is well-rounded and that they are working on what they are interested in, while still doing what is in the best interest of the company. This group is adaptable and their willingness to support the person next to them is incredible. These things are beyond standard professionalism, and that's why I love being a part of this team.
I learned quickly that my team feeds off of passion, positivity, and vulnerability; and they deserve that from their leader. I am fortunate that my team allows me to invest my time and interest into their lives and who they are as people. It helps me feel fulfilled.
At KBI, I get to be the person I’ve always wanted to be while working on the science I love. While Jimmy Valvano couldn’t benefit from the organization that he established, he said, "Maybe my children or your children will be saved from the money and research that is coming from this organization now." In some way, each of us has been affected by cancer. As I get closer to the end of my career, I want to finish it off by working with others that share the same passion, and hopefully pass some of that excitement for our work and innovation in the industry along to future generations. There are millions of patients out there that we will never meet, but that we have dedicated our careers to.
What brings you joy outside of work?
A fun fact not everybody knows is that I've also been a drummer for over 45 years!
Do you have anything else you'd like to share?
What we do for a career is hard work, you can’t get away from that. But you find ways to get through it together. As Jimmy said, "Don’t give up… Don’t ever give up." Find your passion and use it to get through the good times and the bad. If you aren’t living passionately, then how are you living? I ask my team each day, "What is fueling your passion today?"
If you’re ready to explore your next step in the biotech industry, please visit kbibiopharma.com/careers.