Planet Pharma EU’s September MVP: Alastair Aitken

We’re highlighting some of the amazing people who make up our Planet Pharma. Today, let’s get to know Alastair Aitken with our Planet Pharma EU team.

Name: Alastair Aitken

Job Title: Principal Recruiter

How does it feel to be recognised by your colleagues and what was your secret to success this month?

Feels good to be recognized but also to hear their wider feedback. Working hard and efficiently and controlling the controllables, really glad to be recognized by my colleagues!

Talk us through your recruitment experience and areas of expertise?

7 years of recruitment 5 within Life Science and focus within a variety of areas including Clinical, Biometrics, Regulatory, Quality and IT/other areas.

If you could go back and give one piece of advice to yourself right at the start of your recruitment career, what would it be?

Not to take anything personal in recruitment and take things day by day.

Is there any particular moment that stands out to you in your Recruitment career so far?

Helping over 60 candidates to secure new roles in one year and hitting my first Gold Club with Planet Pharma in the second year into my Life Science career. (Have since hit it every year thankfully!)

What’s one thing you’d like for potential candidates and clients to know about Planet Pharma?

That our model allows us to provide quality, quantity, and speed to filling positions. It helps understanding the needs of the requirements. For every placement there are two minds at work, someone in the BD or Account Management team, combined with a Recruiter. This means you have two experts on your side at all times, not just the one at most agencies!

What would you say is unique about our culture here?

The diversity.

Tell us more about you. Do you have any hobbies or hidden talents?

Hobbies: Boxing. Hidden talents: I am good at impersonations.

If you threw a dinner party and could invite 4 famous faces – who would they be?

Denzel, Tyson Fury, Russell Crowe and Hazard.

If you weren’t working in Recruitment, what would you be doing?

Something within Boxing, managing, promoting etc.

Finally, what do you think makes an MVP at Planet Pharma?

MVP is someone that doesn’t give up and continues moving forward, helping others when needed, and providing the best possible quality you can provide.