The power of purpose and positivity: a chat with Bimpe Shitta-Bey

For the latest Race In STEM podcast, Steven Fuller, global community manager for Race in STEM, caught up with Bimpe Shitta-Bey on the importance of education, how to balance learning with the internal pressure to socialise with your peers, and why Desmond’s is an important cultural touchpoint for people of African descent growing up in the UK.Bimpe is a regulatory strategy lead based in London. One of the most striking things about her is her strong sense of purpose and endless positivity. But despite her spontaneity and desire to make the most of opportunities when they come along, she’s never lost that clear vision of what she wants to achieve.“I’ve always been lucky because I’ve always had a real sense of self, what I wanted to do. Like everybody, you can be kind of pulled by what others are doing, but in myself I know what the right thing is and what I want to do, what I’m trying to get to, and so I don’t allow myself to be moved from that path. And I think that’s always done me good – just do the thing that it’s telling me inside to do, not what’s going on outside.”Trained as a pharmacist but realising very early on that the life of a pharmacist wasn’t for her, Bimpe went on to complete her PhD in pharmacy and embarked on a career that’s taken her from the civil services to global pharma and small start-up companies. Now, as a regulatory strategy lead, she draws upon her diverse experience in the pharma and biotech industry to devise and implement innovative regulatory strategies and manage complex and novel regulatory issues.Listen to the complete conversation (or watch on YouTube) to hear more about her fascinating personal and professional journey, characterised by an incredibly powerful drive and an infectiously positive outlook on life.Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!