CEO MONTHLY / FEMALE CEO EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2017 9 , about people, and thankfully I love people.” Ultimately, the future for Candesic looks bright, with innovative minds like Michelle at the top, the company can only look forward. Having doubled in size, the company are planning to expand globally and personally, Michelle is looking to continue to teach and train the next generation, encouraging young females to get into business. “Candesic has doubled in size during the last four years, next steps are to expand the business with an even wider global reach. The entire world faces the same care issues: people are living longer with more long term conditions and all governments are looking at novel solutions to manage costs, alongside keeping up with expensive medical technological advancements. I also want to continue with teaching and training the next generation and am developing year training programmes, bespoke for females, who have not yet considered business as a career.” Contact: Dr Michelle Tempest Contact Email:
[email protected] Twitter: @DrMTempest Address: 16/F New Zealand House, 80 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4TQ, UK Phone: 020 7096 7680 Web Address: www.candesic.com Candesic is a leading strategy consultancy head-quartered in London, serving private operators, investors, and public sector organisations.We spoke toDrMichelle Tempest about the services her company provides as well as her own recent success. Business Partner of the Year 2017 &Most Influential Woman in Healthcare - UK Candesic supports clients with their business strategy and to gain comfort in investment decisions through consultancy projects and commercial due diligence engagements. Clients include healthcare companies (private, public and charity) as well as private equity firms and other investors. Candesic is unique in the marketplace bringing together the trio of skills business, medicine and academia to get under the skin of healthcare businesses, evaluating both their business attributes and their clinical components which often drive the success of the business. Michelle is delighted to receive this award and discusses how far society has come with regard to women and what opportunities this success may make for the firm. “It was a great honour to receive such prestigious awards. It is almost exactly 100 years ago, when women first got the right to vote. Today we are lucky to live through an era where achievements are not dependent upon gender, but on meritocratic dedication and hard work. Nobody can tell what the next 100 years will bring. However, I doubt gender will be an issue.” Regarding her previous roles, Michelle tells us about her journey towards achieving her position as partner at Candesic. Her formative years were spent on a military base and this is the foundation of what Michelle bases her leadership style on. “Having worked in a diverse group of jobs in my time, they have all added to my knowledge and experience. I started working in business in 2004 and it took me 10 years to become Partner of management consultancy Candesic. However, business was not my first job, far from it. I did the 24/7 shifts of being a front line hospital doctor for 13 years and trained as a psychiatrist. Nothing can ever quite compare to being the duty doctor and seeing people in life and death situations. You learn that teamwork is paramount, life is precious, and how vital taking responsibility for others is. “Alongside this, I also passionately believe in passing on knowledge and enthusiasm to the next generation and I teach medical law and ethics at Cambridge University, which I have done since 1998. As for other jobs – I have been a manager of a recording studio, a Parliamentary candidate, a dental nurse, a security guard, a housekeeper and too many others to list – but, I have never been afraid of rolling up my sleeves and getting on with the job.” Teamwork is vital in any business, something Michelle is keen to highlight. Creating a fun working environment and ensuring the jobs and projects are enjoyable, Michelle knows how to get the best out of her team. FCE17008 “Perhaps because my formative years were spent on a military base, teamwork is paramount to me. Never ask someone to do a task you would not do yourself and you never leave a member of team behind. All results are collaborative and only as good as the weakest link in your team. If everyone is striving towards the same shared goal in the same direction of travel, then you are more likely to reach your destination. Overall nobody is perfect, people’s differences make them more interesting, and communication is key. Lead with head, heart and vision, make the journey fun and always ensure everyone knows why we have to work hard.” There have been many challenges which Michelle has faced during her time at the company but she states that there are always challenges in life. She gives advice to those who are facing new challenges whilst also stating that she embraces a challenge and enjoys learning to understand. In Michelle’s mind, challenges create opportunities. “There are always challenges in life. What is important is how you react to adversity and focus on how best to solve the problems. Thankfully I enjoy a challenge, enjoy understanding the core of an issue and enjoy breaking it down issues into manageable constituent parts. After all, if you don’t face challenges then you will never find the opportunities. And as a psychiatrist, I know it’s all Candesic