Why the Best Quality Leaders Walk the Floor, with Iain Rusling.

From £9,000-a-year QC analyst to global quality leader - Iain Rusling’s story is a masterclass in soft‑skills, grit and making quality a strategic enabler.In today's episode, Hemish was joined by Iain Rusling, a global Quality & Operations leader and former Chief Quality Officer.Iain's journey - from QC benches in the UK to leading international, matrixed teams in Europe, captures the mindset, communication, and cross‑functional collaboration required to turn quality into a competitive advantage.Iain began in QC at small biotechs, built facilities and quality systems, moved through technology transfer and inspections, and later led global/EMEA functions from Munich. Along the way he faced setbacks, loss, consulting chapters, and major inflection points - all of which shaped a people‑centered leadership style that keeps him on the shop floor, not behind a desk.He talks about the following:Starting in QC on £9,000 a year and the mindset that accelerated his careerBuilding an oligonucleotide facility from scratch and what it taught him about influence without authorityMoving from site roles to global, matrixed leadership - how to earn trust across borders and culturesInspections and licenses (FDA/MHRA) as leadership pressure testsWhy quality must be represented in the boardroom - and how to make the caseTurning ‘quality as a cost’ into ‘quality as continuity of revenue’Practical ways quality leaders can humanise their function: walk the floors, speak operations, build relationshipsInterview advice for QA leaders: questions to uncover culture, investment and phase‑appropriate systemsClinical → Commercial transitions: where companies get stuck and how advisory/fractional quality leaders helpAI realism: useful for trends and signals, but it can’t replace human judgment on the shop floorIain is a thoughtful, pragmatic leader who combines technical depth with empathy, candour and a relentless focus on relationships.Thank you Iain for sharing your incredible journey.Hope everyone enjoys the show!