In this latest edition of the Career Perspectives series, we are excited to introduce our readers to Stephanie Brandt, Senior Corporate Counsel at Cytel.

Can you give us a background on your career and your professional journey so far? What made you choose to practice corporate law?

Many years ago, I began my legal career as a law clerk for a judge in the New Jersey Appellate Courts. When I relocated to North Carolina more than ten years ago, I entered the life sciences industry and found myself at a wonderful company. There, I not only learned the ins and outs CRO services but also developed my skills as an in-house commercial attorney. I joined Cytel in late 2021 with a goal of expanding my in-house corporate legal experience and using my existing skillset to make an immediate positive impact.

Given that many of our employees supporting our business operations do not come from a medical or pharmaceutical background, what made you decide to pursue a career in this industry, and specifically at Cytel?

A friend taught me a bit about the industry, and it intrigued me because it rekindled my interests in biology and public health from my undergraduate days. I had a basic understanding of life sciences and the fundamentals were not foreign to me, but learning about the full impact our work has on people’s health and lives is amazing; I am happy to play a supporting role.

What is your role at Cytel, and what do you like best about it?

As corporate counsel, a fundamental aspect of my role is to help protect Cytel from risk, ensure compliance, and balance these with our goals of being a profitable company and delivering quality for our customers. The people I get to work with are definitely my favorite part of this job. I work with a wonderful legal team, whom I respect and have fun with, and I get to support people throughout the organization on a variety of challenges. Additionally, I get to be creative in my role, and no two days are the same, so I am always learning.

We operate in an industry where compliance is critically important. How does Cytel prioritize legal compliance and ethical standards in its operations?

The Cytel legal team prioritizes compliance by working with the various business functions to help build out and continuously evolve our compliance programs. We also negotiate compliance standards with our clients and ensure that Cytel can adhere to the terms and conditions in our contracts. The more Cytel expands globally, the more complex and comprehensive our compliance programs need to become.

As Senior Corporate Counsel, can you walk us through a typical day in your role?

My day typically revolves around prioritization (and re-prioritization), with commercial contracting taking up the majority of my time. I review contracts for Cytel’s EVA, DMC and FSP business units, as well as vendor contracts and HR/corporate agreements that require review. In addition to contract review, I respond to escalation issues, including quality events, audit issues, or special projects like integration efforts for our newly acquired affiliate companies. Internal meetings, combined with meetings with clients or vendors to discuss contracting issues make my days fly by.

Which skills do you think are crucial to your function?

Communication skills are critical. Whether it is composing an email to a client or hopping on the phone to figure out how to handle a problem, being able to communicate effectively is a huge help in this role. Also, being able to prioritize and re-prioritize tasks is essential, since the day never seems to unfold the way you think it will.

In your three years at Cytel, you have worked on many projects. Can you share which project(s) you are the proudest of, and why?

I probably cannot give many meaningful details of the projects I am most proud of, but I can say that there have been some projects that really required perseverance to see through to the point of getting positive results, and that is very satisfying. Also, being able to collaborate with colleagues in other departments to get results is very rewarding and fun.

You recently won an Employee Spotlight Award. Could you describe the exceptional work that led to this recognition and how receiving this award impacted you?

The Spotlight awards are based on Cytel’s core values, and my work was recognized for “Center on the Client: my commitment to understanding and meeting our clients’ needs to enhance their satisfaction and loyalty” which is something I strive to balance and achieve daily. Being recognized for this effort is very humbling and I am proud of the work we do to support Cytel. I try to be proactive about figuring out solutions to client contracting issues; however, we have to balance client satisfaction with our compliance concerns and stick with our processes which are in place to protect not only Cytel but our clients as well.

How do you see the role of legal counsel evolving at Cytel, as the company continues to grow and innovate?

The legal team at Cytel is small but mighty, and as Cytel grows we strive to be able to continue to serve our whole organization. In order to do that we need to always have an eye on increasing efficiency. Technology such as AI is ever evolving, and we want to be at the forefront of it and not playing catch-up.

As an employee who works full-time from home, what are your strategies to keep a healthy work-life balance? Do you feel supported in this by Cytel?

I do feel that Cytel gives me the tools to maintain a balanced life, even though sometimes that is easier said than done. I have two young boys at home so I’m busy all week long, whether it’s the school year or summer. I try to take a gym break daily and work out, which I find keeps me sharp and lowers my stress. I really value being able to work from home, the time it saves and the flexibility it provides. I used to commute daily into the city for work and while that was worth it at the time, I make good use of that hour or more I get back each day by working from my home office, and I feel no less connected to my team and colleagues even though we are chatting on the computer.

What advice would you give young, aspiring women interested in a legal profession in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries?

There are a lot of great opportunities in this domain and there is much to learn. I think it’s important to always be willing to work harder than the next person, give your best effort, and always keep learning.

What are your main interests outside of work?

I am an avid reader which really helps me unwind and relax. I love to cook too, which is helpful because the people in my house love to eat. I live on the coast so on most weekends when the weather is warm our family is out enjoying the beach and the ocean. We have not travelled as much in the last few years, with covid and having young kids, but we love visiting the mountains and hiking in the summer, taking in the fresh mountain air and the views.

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