By NZPA
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Monday 2nd April 2007 |
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That didn't stop her reaching the heights of drug development at Pfizer, where Hopkins thrived in the fast-paced, sometimes cut-throat environment.
"What gives me a buzz in the morning is commercialising science -- it's what I've done all my life, and this seemed to me to be an ideal opportunity within New Zealand to be able to do that," she said.
Having left school early keen to make some money, Hopkins fell into her first job as a trainee technician at Oxford University before eventually becoming UK-based global project manager of early development at Pfizer.
She arrived in New Zealand in 2001 and is currently CEO of Encoate, an AgResearch/Ballance joint venture.
Hopkins has high hopes for New Zealand's fledgling biotechnology industry if it plays to the country's strengths, as Wool Equities does by creating products from pastoral sector research.
Wool Equities' subsidiaries include Orico and Keratec, which extracts keratin proteins from wool for uses in cosmetics, dietary supplements, and creating a framework for bone regrowth in surgical patients.
"It's great for the wool industry to be able to diversify out of the fabric type applications to more biotech end value," she said.
New Zealand is second only to Australia in wool exports, and is the world's largest producer and exporter of crossbred wool.
Hopkins is keen to focus the wide portfolio of Keratec, the business she believes is the company's fastest route to profitability.
"As I see it, they've got a real chance to make a big difference in the cosmetics ingredients business, and they're differentiating themselves from others in so much as they're playing on the New Zealand pure wool as a key selling point, which is great."
Wool Equities, which has had an interim chief executive for about six months, has been the subject of complaints by some shareholders about corporate governance, not upheld by the stock exchange or Securities Commission.
Hopkins said it had been made clear the conflict was an issue for the board to deal with, not her.
The company, formed out of the Wool Board, has turned around a $4.4 million loss with its latest $312,000 six-month profit, on the back of a 47% increase in operating revenue of $15.6 million.
Increasing turnover was important, but it was profit that counts, she said.
"At the end of the day, the majority of shareholders are involved in the wool industry and I know they feel very passionate about that heritage, and it's trying to find a way to marry both people's interest that can really maximise shareholder value insomuch as creating value out of different aspects of wool."
The sector is a long way behind the United States and Europe, but she points to other countries of a similar size to New Zealand which are just starting out and making great progress, such as Singapore, Finland and Denmark.
"But I think it's trying to find those real niches, and not trying to artificially engineer them and say, this country's doing such and such, so we must be there."
New Zealand's biotech industry generated revenue of around $811 million in 2005, and $250m in exports.
Agricultural science was key, as it had supported New Zealand's primary industry for so long and was world class.
She wants to see funding allocated strategically with long-term goals, not just on a first-come, first-served basis. Companies lacking a proven track record in the marketplace should not be excluded from funding, as such criteria can stifle innovation, she says.
"Obviously there's lots of political issues at stake and trying to balance that, and lots of people are saying science investment is not a vote winner, but we really need somebody very, very strong that will say this is the vision, this is what we're going to do, and give that real road map."
She was amazed to discover she will be the only CEO of a public company, with the departure soon of Telecom boss Theresa Gattung and Vicki Salmon's recent resignation from Restaurant Brands, but said other countries faced the same problem.
"It's a whole lot of reasons, and not always necessarily to do with company culture etc. Especially in the science industry, we hardly see any women in real leadership positions, so I hope girls can look at me and think if she can do it, I can do it."
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