On International Day of Women In Science, we’re proud to shine a spotlight on Orthocell’s Quality Director, Monique Cannon.
Monique joined Orthocell in 2007, back when our world-class cell-therapy manufacturing facility was just taking shape. Starting out as Orthocell’s Production Manager, Monique’s passion and commitment to quality soon became apparent, leading her to climb the career ladder within our Company. First as the Regulatory Affairs and Compliance Manager and now as the Quality Director.
This specialised leadership role has granted her a tight rein for creating and managing processes and regulatory protocols in an environment for which quality is critical for success. What makes Monique truly successful in this role is her ability to navigate the unknown – with confidence and conviction.
Growing up in a small country town, Monique was the only person to study high level science in high school, which meant she had to be pretty self-directed. Her natural aptitude for calm, critical thinking and her pursuit of transparency and trust make her a perfect fit for a career in quality control, quality assurance and regulatory compliance. She jumped at the opportunity to help build the Company’s manufacturing processes from the ground up.
“Many people haven’t had the opportunities I’ve had, especially in a relatively young company in a place like Perth,” she says.
Monique has made her mark on the culture at Orthocell, as well as its quality systems. She strives for continual improvement, and believes open and transparent communication, and a willingness to learn is central to everything.
“It’s critical to our quality system at Orthocell for mistakes to be recognised, lessons shared and for no one to feel they need to hide when things don’t go to plan,” she says.
Her advice to young women looking at a career in science?
“In general I would say – question everything, never stop learning and open every door on the way! Behind every door is an opportunity to learn and grow.”