Siân Gill is one of UK and European leading patent attorneys, heading the Chemical and Life Science division of Venner Shipley LLP. Don’t worry, we don’t talk about molecular biology in an interview! We talk about inclusion, being a boss, Sian’s early years, what it is like to be the only female partner in a top law firm and how to get top professional IP protection advice for free!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• It was well into my career that I felt like maybe I’ve done well for myself. A lot of it has to do with my own perception of what I’ve achieved rather than other people’s. That sense of pride of achieving goals, making a difference – that’s a big driver for me – making an impact on people I work with/for, having the satisfaction that I’ve done what I set out to do.
• There was a lot of hard work and inner drive to keep acquiring new skills, moving from one stage to the next, the constant learning and development. It’s always going to be that way, I’m never going to sit back and think I’ve got it all sorted, that I know everything and there’s nothing left to learn. Every day there’s something new to learn, ways to improve, new skills.
• I really enjoy dealing with all the aspects of how the firm works from within the management committee. I love to focus on improving things, fixing problems, being in a position where I’m making a difference and helping people to feel better about their jobs, enjoy their jobs more, be more effective and efficient, and get more enjoyment and job satisfaction out of their work. That also feeds into the client service that we provide to our many and very varied clients. When people aren’t happy I feel personally responsible because I have that ability to make things happen and change things, and I think I can have done more or better to make their work experience – their job – better.
• Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to take on lots of new graduates and help train them and I’ve seen that people are very, very different. They learn in different ways, they work in different ways, they react emotionally in different ways to certain circumstances. I’d like to think that I’m considerate and am not a really hard taskmaster, I try to find how to get the best out of people.

BEST MOMENTS

‘I like to have something to aim for, I like to be able to focus on something. I’m very goal driven and like things to be finite.’
‘Apparently, I’m quite scary! But I try to be supportive, to lead by example, and to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.’
‘I was the first female partner, which meant that our partnership agreement had to be re-written. As a result, they had to put in maternity provisions which they hadn’t had to worry about before. But, I never felt like it was a big issue. I’ve never personally felt discriminated against.’
‘There are sometimes hundreds of applications for one role in this industry and it’s inevitable that people will err towards picking those with top degrees from top universities, but that comes at a price: Diversity. Over the last 5-10 years there’s been a real awakening to the value of diversity within this profession.’

ABOUT THE GUEST

Sian is one of the leading UK and European patent attorneys, heading the Chemical and Life Science division of Venner Shipley LLP. She specialises in the drafting, filing and prosecution of patent applications in a broad spectrum of technical fields that includes pharmaceuticals, formulation technology, drug delivery, molecular biology, biological assays, gene sequences, DNA sequencing technologies, array technologies, genomics proteomics, stem cells, diagnostics, cancer therapeutics, immuno-therapeutics, cell culturing technology and equipment, medical devices, food products and processing, filter technology and packaging technology.

Website: https://www.vennershipley.co.uk/people/sian-gill/ 

ABOUT THE PODCAST

Woman Self Made podcast brings you interviews with hugely successful women from all walks of life – world renowned business leaders, disruptive entrepreneurs, world class athletes, self-made multi-millionaires, entertainment and TV personalities. In these conversations we dive into their unique stories with an aim to deconstruct their secrets for success. We talk about their journeys, ups and down, while distilling along the way the habits, tools, tactics and tips, which you can learn and use.

So, grab your favourite drink and join us every Thursday for open conversations with the most inspiring women talking about building successful businesses, careers and living lives of their dreams.

ABOUT THE HOST

Marina Bennett had a high-flying international career in strategy and finance, and in 2019 she decided to leave her £300k/year City job to take entrepreneurial plunge from scratch. She is now a multiple business owner on the way to her first 7 figures. Marina is also a founder of Woman. Self-made. (@womanselfmade.inc) - an online community of confident, ambitious women who want to achieve success and live the lives of their dreams.