From £9,000-a-year QC analyst to global quality leader – Iain Rusling’s story is a masterclass in soft‑skills, grit and making quality a strategic enabler.
In today’s episode, Hemish was joined by Iain Rusling, a global Quality & Operations leader and former Chief Quality Officer.
Iain’s journey – from QC benches in the UK to leading international, matrixed teams in Europe, captures the mindset, communication, and cross‑functional collaboration required to turn quality into a competitive advantage.
Iain began in QC at small biotechs, built facilities and quality systems, moved through technology transfer and inspections, and later led global/EMEA functions from Munich.
Along the way he faced setbacks, loss, consulting chapters, and major inflection points – all of which shaped a people‑centered leadership style that keeps him on the shop floor, not behind a desk.
He talks about the following:
- Starting in QC on £9,000 a year and the mindset that accelerated his career
- Building an oligonucleotide facility from scratch and what it taught him about influence without authority
- Moving from site roles to global, matrixed leadership – how to earn trust across borders and cultures
- Inspections and licenses (FDA/MHRA) as leadership pressure tests
- Why quality must be represented in the boardroom – and how to make the case
- Turning ‘quality as a cost’ into ‘quality as continuity of revenue’
- Practical ways quality leaders can humanise their function: walk the floors, speak operations, build relationships
- Interview advice for QA leaders: questions to uncover culture, investment and phase‑appropriate systems
- Clinical → Commercial transitions: where companies get stuck and how advisory/fractional quality leaders help
- AI realism: useful for trends and signals, but it can’t replace human judgment on the shop floor
Iain is a thoughtful, pragmatic leader who combines technical depth with empathy, candour and a relentless focus on relationships.
Thank you Iain for sharing your incredible journey.
Hope everyone enjoys the show!