Sterling Snapshot | Stewart Mitchell, Vice President of Operations

Can you describe your background and current role at Sterling?

I studied applied chemistry, with an additional focus on business at university. I then went on to earn my PhD in Organic Chemistry from Abertay University, where I focused specifically on synthetic organic chemistry.

From there, I held a variety of different chemistry focused operational roles, centred around technology transfers, process introduction, project management, operations, and people management and leadership.

I first met Sterling’s CEO, Kevin Cook and other members of the team when Sterling was known as ChiRex, where I worked as a Senior Process Manager for a number of years. I then moved to the United States to become a Site Operations Manager where I managed a site focused on early phase API clinical development and manufacture and oversaw a team of about 60 people, before returning to the UK to continue as a Manufacturing Manager with the company.

I then had my first experience in site leadership at Piramal Pharma Solutions focused on antibody drug conjugate (ADCs) clinical and commercial manufacture, and I was responsible for the site’s continued growth and investment.

Post this, I spent time in a variety of leadership roles, including Site Lead at an established microbiological media products company outside of the pharmaceutical space.

I reconnected with Kevin when Sterling acquired the Deeside, Wales site, where I joined to take on the role of EVP and Site Head in 2021. This role appealed to me as it allowed me to return to the development and manufacture of ADCs, the next generation oncology therapies, and because of its parallels with the start-up and restructure environments I’ve encountered before.

In 2024, I was presented with the opportunity to relocate to Sterling’s Wisconsin, US facility to take on the role of Vice President of Operations at the site.

Can you describe your responsibilities as Vice President of Operations?

As Vice President of Operations, I am responsible for heading up operations, manufacturing, purchasing, warehousing and logistics at our Wisconsin facility. The core part of the role is to ensure the team, systems and facility deliver on time and delight our customers, whilst ensuring that our operations are safe and efficient.

I wouldn’t say that there is a typical day in this role, it requires an understanding of our schedule and planning ahead in order to respond to any potential challenges. This includes aligning resources and equipment, as well as getting involved in more strategic activities, such as evaluating future capacity, capital investment opportunities, safety programme improvements, and recruitment.

My past experience, whether with people or on the more technical side, helps me to coach, manage and lead more effectively. I have the background needed to understand technical challenges and determine what the best course of action might be moving forward. Once you have broad experience in these areas, it helps you to respond more effectively to potential challenges, much to the benefit of your team and customers.

How do you ensure that our manufacturing operations meet and exceed the needs of our customers?

Sterling has highly developed systems for project management, process development, technology transfer, scheduling, supply chain and process introduction into our manufacturing facilities.

It’s very much a team effort, and here at the Wisconsin site, there is a highly skilled team with modern facilities to ensure that our customers have a smooth timely execution of their project, be it clinical or commercial manufacture, with all the resources and expertise that they would expect.

We aim to ensure that our customers experience consistency from Sterling, no matter which site they are working with.

Ultimately, our customers want a product or a material that is manufactured according to plan and delivered on schedule. We understand that schedule adherence is important, no matter where you are in your project’s lifecycle. Our aim is always to deliver and deligh