Beyond the Device

Beyond the Device by Capu Search

Duncan & Nathan have been recruiting into the MedTech industry for well over a decade, and together they co-host Beyond the Device - a podcast that explores the human story behind the job title. Each episode uncovers the defining moments that have shaped the lives and careers of leaders across medical technology - from early influences and setbacks to the lessons learned along the way. Honest, vulnerable and deeply personal - Beyond the Device goes beyond companies and titles to show that success isn’t linear, and we’re all on our own journeys.

  1. Ep: 33 From the Mines to MedTech CEO

    MAY 5

    Ep: 33 From the Mines to MedTech CEO

    Andrew Mullen’s story is built on work ethic, curiosity, and a mindset that refuses to stay still.Growing up in a coal mining community, value was simple: you worked hard or you didn’t matter. That environment shaped his early drive, but not his destination. From the mines to the Royal Navy, and eventually into MedTech, his path wasn’t planned, it was taken one opportunity at a time.  The defining moment came later. Standing in a chaotic radiotherapy department, surrounded by patients waiting for life-changing treatment, he realised something fundamental: Fixing the machine wasn’t enough. That moment shifted everything. From being a technically strong engineer, to someone focused on improving systems, scaling impact, and ultimately helping more people.  From there, Andrew deliberately pushed himself beyond his comfort zone, learning the commercial, operational, and leadership sides of the industry. Along the way, imposter syndrome was constant, but so was the decision to keep showing up anyway. Now, as a multi-time CEO, his edge isn’t just technical knowledge, it’s perspective. Staying calm, seeing the bigger picture, and understanding how all the pieces fit together. The core message is simple: Your background shapes you, but it doesn’t define you. What matters is how you respond, how you learn, and whether you’re willing to step into things before you feel ready.

    37 min
  2. Episode 32: Taking ownership, with Paul Fletcher-Dyer

    APR 29

    Episode 32: Taking ownership, with Paul Fletcher-Dyer

    Paul Fletcher-Dyer didn’t plan a career in medtech, he found it by following what felt natural. From early lab work to global QA/RA leadership, his path has been shaped by one defining lesson. Early in his career, Paul experienced a moment where he did everything right, but still carried the blame for a failed outcome. It knocked his confidence for over a year and forced him to rethink how he works. That experience now underpins everything he does. He leads with ownership, open conversations, and a clear belief that bottling things up is where problems start.  Today, operating in the fast-moving world of AI in healthcare, Paul sees the same theme playing out at scale: rapid innovation, slow regulation, and the need for people who can take responsibility in the grey areas. This episode is about resilience, accountability, and saying things out loud before they build up.

    48 min
  3. Episode 31: Navigating self-doubt and earning your place – Andrew Rogers

    APR 13

    Episode 31: Navigating self-doubt and earning your place – Andrew Rogers

    In this episode of Beyond the Device, Andrew Rogers shares a career shaped less by certainty and more by resilience.   From struggling at school and “winging it” into his first role, to building a 30+ year career in QA/RA, Andrew opens up about a constant undercurrent of imposter syndrome and self-doubt. Despite this, it’s that very mindset that’s driven him to work harder and consistently deliver. This episode covers: Non-linear career paths and finding your way without a clear planTurning self-doubt into a driver rather than a blockerThe importance of environment, support, and perspectiveA grounded reminder that you don’t need complete confidence to build a successful career, just the willingness to keep going and do your best. “Don’t limit yourself to what you think in your head… you can do more than that.”

    46 min
  4. Episode 30: If you can't avoid it, enjoy it. – Lucy Jung

    APR 8

    Episode 30: If you can't avoid it, enjoy it. – Lucy Jung

    Lucy Jung’s story is one of reflection, resilience, and purpose.   Growing up across South Korea and China, she was exposed early to different cultures, ways of thinking, and a core principle that would stay with her, focus on value, not just outcomes.   Creativity led her into design engineering, and eventually into medtech, where she saw an opportunity to combine problem-solving with real human impact.   But the defining shift came in her early twenties.   After being diagnosed with a brain tumour and facing major surgery, Lucy experienced life from the other side, not as a designer or researcher, but as a patient.   That moment forced reflection. On what actually matters. On how fragile things can be. And on the gap between research and real-world impact, where even a 1% improvement in daily life can mean everything.   It also built resilience.   Through uncertainty, recovery, and ongoing health challenges, Lucy developed a mindset grounded in perspective, focusing on what can be controlled, finding moments of lightness even in difficult situations, captured in a simple idea she still lives by:“If you cant' avoid it, enjoy it.”   And from that came clarity of purpose.   What began as a university project in Parkinson’s became something much bigger, a commitment to take meaningful ideas out of academia and into people’s lives. Not just chasing breakthrough innovation, but improving the day-to-day reality for those living with long-term conditions.   In this episode, we explore: How reflection helps you stay aligned with what actually mattersWhy resilience is built through perspective, not just enduranceHow becoming a patient reshaped Lucy’s direction entirelyThe responsibility of building in healthcare, and why value must come firstAnd how small, human-centred improvements can have life-changing impact  A conversation that challenges you to slow down, reflect, and build something that genuinely matters.

    50 min
  5. Episode 29: The Courage to Start Again, with Kiran Kang

    MAR 30

    Episode 29: The Courage to Start Again, with Kiran Kang

    Kiran’s journey into regulatory leadership isn’t a straight line. It’s shaped by curiosity, resilience, and one particularly defining period where everything slowed down.She didn’t grow up around science or the industry. Her interest came from wanting to understand how things work, from the human body to the medicines her grandmother relied on. That curiosity led her into biomedical science, then into lab-based roles, and eventually into positions where she began to overlap with quality and problem solving.But the moment that really changed things came years later.During COVID, Kiran stepped away from her career to raise her two young children. At the same time, she was dealing with depression and a genuine loss of identity. Work had been a big part of how she saw herself, and without it, she had to confront that shift head on.What stands out is how openly she talks about that period. The counselling, the self-reflection, and the ongoing effort to understand herself better. Not as a one-off fix, but as something she continues to invest in. It’s an honest reminder that these moments aren’t always visible from the outside, but they shape how people show up afterwards.Instead of rushing back, she used that time to rebuild. She studied, developed her understanding of quality, and slowly put the foundations in place for what came next.Then an opportunity came through someone she had worked with before. A startup role in Quality & Regulatory. A clear step up, and one that came with uncertainty.She took it anyway.That decision became the inflection point. It accelerated her learning, gave her the space to grow, and ultimately set the direction for her career.Today, she’s operating at a senior level, drawn to environments where she can have real impact, whether that’s building in startups, improving patient pathways, or contributing to how regulation evolves.Looking back, it’s not just the career moves that matter. It’s the willingness to face difficult periods honestly, and then still choose to move forward.If you’re going through a period where things feel uncertain, whether that’s in your career or personally, you’re not the only one. And if you’re waiting until everything feels clear before making your next move, that moment might not come.Sometimes the next step comes while you’re still figuring things out.

    39 min
  6. Episode 28: Learning to lead – Chris Lee

    MAR 16

    Episode 28: Learning to lead – Chris Lee

    Chris Lee, CEO of Summit Medical, has spent decades leading medical device businesses through some of the toughest conditions the industry has faced, from Brexit and COVID to supply chain disruption and regulatory change. But his path into MedTech leadership was anything but conventional.   Leaving school at 15, Chris spent years travelling and working a range of jobs, from cycle courier to furniture removals and the Royal Navy, describing his early career as “a series of gap years” shaped by curiosity and life experience rather than formal education.   His turning point came while working at Johnson & Johnson. A mentor challenged him with a blunt observation: despite his potential, there was a missing paragraph in his career story, his education. That conversation pushed Chris to complete an Executive MBA at Cranfield while working full time, an intense experience that transformed both his confidence and his leadership perspective.   The biggest shift was learning that leadership isn’t about doing everything yourself. Instead, it’s about building teams of people with complementary strengths and creating an environment where each person can excel.   After nearly two decades at J&J, Chris stepped away from corporate life into startups and smaller MedTech businesses. The move brought failures, successes, and a completely different level of responsibility, from managing investors to worrying about cash flow. Looking back, he says the hardest moments ultimately taught him the most.   Across a career that has spanned global MedTech leadership roles, Chris’s biggest lesson is simple: success is built around people. The right team, with the right mix of strengths, will always outperform individuals trying to do everything themselves.   His advice to anyone building their career: focus on what you’re genuinely great at, collaborate with people who fill the gaps, and don’t let anyone else define what you’re capable of.

    42 min
  7. Episode 27: Work hard and do the right thing – with Chris Hannan

    MAR 10

    Episode 27: Work hard and do the right thing – with Chris Hannan

    Chris Hannan, VP of Quality & Regulatory at Oxford Nanopore, has built an extraordinary career in MedTech without following the traditional path.   Leaving school without a clear direction, Chris started in the stores department of an electronics company and deliberately put himself in environments where he had to learn. By staying curious, surrounding himself with good people and learning from mentors along the way, he gradually built the experience that has led him to where he is today, helping lead quality and regulatory at one of the UK’s most innovative biotech companies, known for its breakthrough DNA and RNA sequencing technology.   Despite operating in one of the most technical and regulated parts of the industry, Chris is fundamentally a people person in a technical world. His approach to leadership and regulation is grounded in humility, curiosity and the belief that most things ultimately come back to common sense.   Earlier in his career, Chris landed his dream role working in Switzerland but unexpectedly found himself returning to the UK only a year later and rebuilding from scratch. Starting again with little more than a suitcase required resilience and perspective, but it ultimately shaped how he views success, leadership and what truly matters – the people around you and how you treat them.   The philosophy that runs through his career is simple: “If you do the right thing and work hard, things tend to work out.”

    57 min
  8. Episode 26: Expect Problems. Enjoy the Challenge. A conversation with Tony Cooke

    MAR 4

    Episode 26: Expect Problems. Enjoy the Challenge. A conversation with Tony Cooke

    Tony Cooke has spent more than 40 years in diagnostics, building and leading companies in Cambridge after humble beginnings in a working-class family in Sheffield. This episode isn’t about job titles. It’s about mindset. Tony shares why he never let himself get too comfortable. Growth, for him, came from change. New roles. New challenges. Moving before he was forced to. He’s seen companies sold, projects collapse and plans unravel. His view is blunt: expect things to go wrong. Life isn’t fair. Companies aren’t permanent. Deal with it and move forward. What stands out is how deliberately he creates challenge. In work and outside it. He believes discomfort keeps you sharp and complacency is the real risk. After decades in diagnostics, he’s also clear on the bigger mission. Healthcare has to shift from treating illness to preventing it. Earlier detection. Smarter screening. Keeping people healthy and productive for longer. If you’re serious about building a career in diagnostics that lasts, without becoming complacent or burnt out, this episode will challenge how you think. It’s direct, grounded and shaped by decades of real experience.

    50 min
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About

Duncan & Nathan have been recruiting into the MedTech industry for well over a decade, and together they co-host Beyond the Device - a podcast that explores the human story behind the job title. Each episode uncovers the defining moments that have shaped the lives and careers of leaders across medical technology - from early influences and setbacks to the lessons learned along the way. Honest, vulnerable and deeply personal - Beyond the Device goes beyond companies and titles to show that success isn’t linear, and we’re all on our own journeys.

Information

  • Creator
    Beyond the Device by Capu Search
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Beyond the Device by Capu Search
  • Show Website
    Beyond the Device