Photon Therapeutics is pleased to welcome Helen Harrison as its new Veterinary Technical Manager.
Photon Therapeutics is pleased to welcome Helen Harrison as its new Veterinary Technical Manager. Helen brings extensive experience across small animal practice, veterinary technical services, product management, education and team leadership.
Helen qualified as a veterinary surgeon from the University of Bristol in 2016 and began her career in small animal practice. Over five years in clinical practice, she developed broad experience and completed a Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice.
Helen was also interested in exploring what a career in veterinary medicine could look like beyond clinical practice. She chose to spend her final-year elective with Dechra, gaining an early insight into working as a veterinary professional within the pharmaceutical industry.
The experience confirmed that industry was an area she wanted to explore, leading to two fixed-term, part-time positions with Dechra as a Veterinary Technical Advisor alongside her clinical work.
‘I really enjoyed that experience and it made me realise that I wanted to do something different at some point in my career and it made me think that industry was something I could explore.’
Helen subsequently joined TVM, later Domes Pharma, as a Veterinary Advisor before taking on a European technical management role for a product. She developed training and educational programmes and supported veterinary teams across different markets before moving into Product Management, broadening her experience across technical, commercial and marketing functions.
Alongside her professional development, Helen completed a Certificate in Professional Marketing, adding to the combination of veterinary, technical and commercial skills she had developed throughout her career.
She later joined Boehringer Ingelheim as a Technical Services Vet before taking responsibility for leading the Technical Services team. Managing a team of ten veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses, who provided technical support across the company’s multispecies portfolio.
The role gave Helen valuable experience of leadership, customer support and working within a large, complex organisation. After several years in a large corporate environment, however, she was ready for a new challenge.
Photon offered Helen the opportunity to bring together the different strands of her experience in a smaller, more agile environment.
‘I really wanted the opportunity to work in a smaller business and that start-up environment. I enjoy using a broad range of skills, so I’m really interested in the sales, marketing and customer journey side, as well as all the technical aspects.’
The company’s global focus was another strong attraction. Having previously worked across European markets, Helen enjoyed learning how different countries approach veterinary medicine, including differences in disease patterns, available treatments, culture and attitudes towards pets.
She is looking forward to bringing that international experience to her role at Photon, working closely with veterinary professionals, distributors and specialist ophthalmologists as the company continues to grow.
Having spent years in clinical practice, Helen understands first-hand how challenging microbial keratitis cases can be for veterinary teams, pets and their owners. The combination of clinical and practical challenges can make these cases particularly difficult to manage.
For Helen, the opportunity to work with innovative technology that has the potential to change the way these cases are managed is a major attraction.
‘PhotonUVC Vet is such an amazing technology. I think it’s really exciting to be involved in actually changing and shaping the way these cases are managed.’
Her role will involve supporting education around the PhotonUVC Vet, helping veterinary professionals understand how and when to use the technology effectively, while working alongside the commercial team, distributors and specialist ophthalmologists.
Helen is also passionate about antimicrobial stewardship and the wider environmental impact of medicine use. For her, the appeal of Photon goes beyond innovation alone.
“I’m very passionate about the planet and protecting the environment. Antimicrobial stewardship is something that’s really important to me because it’s part of that whole wider environmental picture – given both climate change and antimicrobial resistance pose threats to worldwide ecosystems.’
The combination of innovation, improving patient outcomes and the potential to contribute towards antimicrobial stewardship is therefore central to what makes PhotonUVC so compelling to Helen.
Ultimately, Helen’s goal is to help more veterinary professionals access and confidently use the PhotonUVC Vet, supporting the growing body of knowledge around UVC technology and its role in clinical case management.
‘I think it’s great to be involved in educating veterinary professionals so that they can really adopt and use this technology in a positive way. There are so many benefits to this product I think the future for Photon Therapeutics is world domination!’
For Helen, joining Photon brings together the experience she has built throughout her career – from clinical practice and technical services to education, marketing, commercial activity and leadership – while giving her the opportunity to contribute to the next stage of veterinary innovation.
