Celebrating CLS Team Milestones
#CLSTogether #CLS20yearmilestone
This year marks a significant milestone for two of our senior team – Caecilia Terloh, our Director of Environmental Services and Anne O’Donnell, our Director of Microbiology. Both have been with CLS for 20 years this year and during that time they have made a significant impact on the company and its growth since they started in 1998. We want to take this opportunity to wish them both a very happy work anniversary and to say a huge thank you for all the work that they do. To mark the occasion we asked them to tell us a little bit about their journey here at CLS – read on below …
Caecilia Terloh – Director of Environmental Services
CAECILIA TERLOH – Director of Environmental Services:
Tell us about your first day at CLS?
My first day at CLS was a wet and windy Monday in February 1998. I walked into the RosMuc Innovation Centre, a building we shared with two other companies, who conducted all their business and internal communications through Irish, which was certainly a new experience for me. The canteen was shared by all and I got to know a lot of people from the local community there, who were all very friendly and welcoming. Our labs consisted of one room and one office with one PC between all six members of staff. Sample entry was manual then, using a big A4 ledger.
Did you always want to be a scientist?
I was torn between science and German literature when choosing my 3rd level education, but decided to go for science in the end, as it gave me greater flexibility in the job market.
Your job is very varied, what aspect of it do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy the contact with customers and strategic partners and being able to provide technical advice in terms of compliance, process proving, water quality and interpretation of results. I also enjoy strategic planning and working with my team of experienced scientists and analysts to achieve our business goals together, and maintaining the company values of high quality service that is so essential to our success. I enjoy the variation of daily tasks in my role and really appreciate the support I have from my team, which allows me to explore new ideas and business opportunities with a short lead in time.
What has been your greatest achievement/stand out moment at CLS in the last 20 years?
Winning the tender for the environmental monitoring at the Corrib Gas Terminal in Co. Mayo and winning and coordinating the first WFD (Water Framework Directive) surface water monitoring project with our German project partners IWW over a three year period.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given that you would share with new entrants at CLS?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and be open to learn new things every day. Never presume anything, communicate! Listening is more important than speaking.
Finally, tell us something surprising about yourself that your colleagues may not know?
I love anything Italian, especially gelato on hot summer days (or any day really)! I worked as a qualified Radiographer before finding my true calling, and pursuing an environmentally orientated career.
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Anne O’Donnell – Director of Microbiology
ANNE O’DONNELL – Director of Microbiology
Tell us about your first day at CLS?
My first day was the 5th May 1998, the Tuesday after the May bank holiday. I loved the idea that I was going to be working in a company that was focused on testing (and there was lots of different tests to do) and that most of us were scientists. I also loved the fact that we all went to lunch together.
I had come from working at a production site that had some testing requirements as part of my role which also included decisions on whether the product was fit for release. It was great learning for me but it became repetitive with the same testing requirements every day.
Did you always want to be a scientist?
Yes, I had thought about doing art at one point, (I did enjoy sketching and lino printing), but I always loved biology and the science subjects, they came easy to me.
Your job is very varied, what aspect of it do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy the variety (most of the time), I like the people I work with and yes, it can be challenging at times, but we have a good team at CLS. I really enjoy a successful sales process and when we deliver on a job well done!.
What has been your greatest achievement/stand out moment at CLS in the last 20 years?
Securing work from our client Cook Medical. It was the first big medical device client that I went after and secured in 2007. I still treasure them as a client, we have added many more iconic brands since to our portfolio but Cook Medical will always have a lasting impression as the first client who took faith in CLS us when we expanded with CLS MedPharma. More recently it would be a project that I was team lead on that secured recognition and was published by the FDA – ‘FDA approval for cancer containment in key hole surgery’ – the first in the world!. That was a real stand out moment for me.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given that you would share with new entrants at CLS?
Training takes patience from both sides – for the trainee and the trainer, and it’s always good to really listen.
Finally, tell us something surprising about yourself that your colleagues may not know?
That I was one of the first owners of a Raleigh BMX bike (with the full gear and helmet) in Ireland, which I won as part of an all-Ireland Sunday World art competition at the age of nine.