Connecting science with business leadership

Many of us, when we were children, would have been asked the question ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ Medicine has always been a passion of mine and given my fascination of the brain, I always wanted to become a neurosurgeon. However, the journey to achieving my goal was not straight forward. There were ups and downs. I have had three turning points in my life and at each junction I have learned something valuable that has shaped me into the person I am today.  

First turning point: in London 

I was born and raised in London, England to parents from Colombia. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science), I applied for medical school, but did not get in. I proceeded to study a Master of Science as a pathway into a medical degree. Again, I did not get into medical school. I started questioning whether I was meant to work in medicine and become a doctor. I did not want to start in a new industry but find a role that utilised the knowledge and skills I already had and aligned with my strengths and passions. Upon reflection, a new path opened for me in clinical trial research.  

I enjoy the process of research and using science and technology to find answers to life’s big questions such as ‘How does the mind work? How does human behaviour become influenced by society? What are we fascinated about?’  

Along with the scientific aspect of research, there’s also the ethical and philosophical side because you’re dealing with people’s lives and trying to preserve what is important. When you’re working in clinical trial research, patience is key as answers can take months, years or even decades. 

My team and I at Recife, Brazil where I worked as a Clinical Monitor

Second turning point: in Chile 

I met my wife in 2011. In 2012, while we were still dating, she had to go back to Chile, and I chose to move with her. In 2014, while I was studying for a PhD, which later became a second master's degree, I suffered a neurological disorder called Transverse Myelitis which meant that I had an inflammation in my spinal cord. 

I was paralysed from neck to toe for 5 weeks. I was told that I could possibly never walk again and that led me to question my life, career and family goals. For the sake of my dreams and future aspirations, I knew I had to persevere. I went into rehab and slowly was able to walk again and resume a normal life as a student, husband and father. I eventually graduated with my second master’s degree in science. This tough time in my life taught me to never take things for granted and be appreciative of everything you have in life. 

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Third turning point: in Australia 

I wanted to come to Australia to follow a better quality of life for me and my family. I was working for a healthcare technology company called Medtronic and they were willing to transfer me to their Sydney office. However, it didn’t happen due to visa issues. This led me to thinking of taking up further studies.  

I had experience in clinical trial management and had learned the administrative and scientific processes entailing the industry, therefore I chose to study an MBA to be able to connect my background in science with the business and leaderships skills I needed to make an impact within the Australian healthcare industry. This is why I enrolled into an MBA at Kaplan Business School (KBS) with a specialisation in Health Services Management.  

KBS offered hybrid learning and the curriculum was delivered through interactive workshops. I found the teachers to be very experienced, and the content enriching and well- referenced. One of my tutors also mentored me along the way and he has provided me with valuable career advice that I had not found anywhere else. I have found KBS to have a warm and open approach that few universities, in my experience, have shown. 

Me with my KBS classmates 

Getting my job at HammondCare 

While I was completing an internship subject at KBS, the opportunity for academic internships came up. I wasn’t going to apply given the visa and working limitations imposed as an international student, but one of my peers advised me that an internship is a strategic way to get into the industry in Australia. So, I applied. 

I started my academic internship at HammondCare, which is a non-for-profit company that specialises in aged care, dementia care and palliative care, and includes clinical research. My role during my internship was to support the Head of Governance and Risk.  

One of my projects was conducting a gap analysis which involved retrieving and analysing data on the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (NSQHS) within hospitals for aged care. I have learnt a lot from my colleagues who have helped me understand current business policies and processes. 

I am a person who always like to plan ahead. After a few weeks at the internship, I happened to be in a fortunate position whereby a role as Internal Policy and Document Control Manager became available within the Quality, Governance and Risk team. I had previously emailed the Chief Risk Officer, who was the manager of my line manager, to communicate my strong interest in a more permanent position. After a few brief discussions, I was offered the role. I’ve been working here now for over 6 months, and I am excited that HammondCare is keen on keeping me on.  

My mentor at KBS has had a big impact on my career direction, and now I’m also guiding other KBS students doing their internship at HammondCare; overseeing their work and giving advice about following their passions and interests.  

Working in health services 

Working in health service management requires a diverse range of skills and personality traits. Skills can include: 

• Managerial & Organisational Skills – planning, executing and overseeing clinical operations. 

• Communication & Interpersonal Skills – maintaining communication with primary investigators, good relationships with other clinical staff and facilitating external and internal communication.  

• Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills - reviewing data and discrepancies in protocols, identifying issues and devising solutions.  

• Writing and Editing - documenting and writing your findings as well as formatting and editing clinical research manuscripts.  

Personality traits can include: 

• Integrity - maintaining trust and ethical standards.  

• Wisdom – having good judgment, foresight, and the ability to apply knowledge effectively in complex situations. 

• Collaboration - working effectively in teams through involvement in editing protocols with others and facilitating coordination with various stakeholders. 

• Attention to detail - crucial to managing policies, procedures, and documents for regulatory compliance, performing data verification and reviewing discrepancies. 

• Diligence & Patience – the detailed and meticulous nature of research work such as ensuring regulatory compliance and managing complex data requires patience and diligence. 

My long-term goals 

What you learn in your private time is what you contribute in public. I love reading about things which relate to my life passions, and I constantly reimagine the person I want to become. I try to make everything in my day aligned with my goals. It is important to be proactive and prepared for whatever you want to pursue in life. 

There are still many things I want to achieve. Within the next 5-10 years, I want to build a neuroethics ‘Think-Tank’ to influence the establishment of legislation and policy work around the use of neuro technology, healthcare and research. I want to be more involved in clinical trial research and pursue a PHD within a neuroethics-related field. 

Want to connect with James? 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-motta/ 

Advance your knowledge and leadership skills in the health sector with our MBA (specialisation in Health Service Management). You can also read our ultimate guide in doing an MBA in Australia.