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When I accepted my role as a Non-Executive Director in a diagnostics company, I pictured myself calmly reviewing board packs,
offering sage strategic input, and occasionally nodding when the CEO delivered a particularly sharp insight.

The reality? A crash course in assay validation, regulatory acronyms, the politics of turnaround times and the very real pressure of making sure we have enough runway to turn an idea into a commercial success.

Here are five things I wish someone had told me before my first diagnostics board meeting.

1. You Don’t Need to Be a Scientist — But You Do Need to Speak the Language
Diagnostics has its own alphabet soup: LDT, IVD, POCT, ISO 13485, CLIA, NGS.
It’s less about memorising the technical protocols and more about asking the right questions to bridge the gap between the lab bench and the business plan (Bain & Company, 2023).

2. The Risk Profile is Unique — and Finance is Part of It
In many industries, “risk” means a dip in sales. In diagnostics, it can mean a product recall because of a QC failure, a regulatory delay, or missing the market window entirely because funding ran dry.
Raising capital for a diagnostics start-up is its own marathon: (see my article on the Start-up Rollercoaster and Ben Cobb’s article the financial gap, the scale up paradox) investors want proof of market traction, regulators want proof of compliance, and the clock is always ticking on burn rate.
As a NED, you’re not just signing off on budgets you’re helping decide which bets to take when every pound (or dollar) matters (Ernst & Young, 2024).

3. Timelines Have a Mind of Their Own
On paper, assay development or ISO accreditation dates look fixed. In reality, a single failed verification step, reagent shortage, or change in industry standards can push milestones sideways.
Patience matters but so does demanding transparency when project plans slip, because investors have their own timelines too.

4. Culture is as Critical as Compliance
The best diagnostics technology in the world can be undone by a poor culture. In this sector, where lab teams, quality managers, and commercial leads must work in lockstep, trust and collaboration aren’t “nice to haves” they’re essential survival tools, (see my article on Company Culture)  (Schulze, 2019).

5. Your Network is More Valuable Than You Think
Sometimes the most useful thing a NED can do isn’t in the boardroom. Whether it’s introducing a regulatory expert, a potential distributor, a hospital group for pilot testing or an investor who understands the sector’s long game the right connection at the right time can accelerate everything.

Final Thought:
The first 90 days have been intense, humbling, and hugely educational. The privilege of shaping technologies that impact patient care sometimes in hours, not months — is something I don’t take lightly.

If you’re thinking of joining a diagnostics board, know this: you’ll be stretched, you’ll learn fast, and you’ll get a front-row seat to innovations that save lives while helping steer the financial ship toward the harbour of commercial success.

References
Bain & Company (2023) Diagnostics: Competing in a Shifting Landscape. [Online] Available at: https://www.bain.com(Accessed: 8 August 2025).
Ernst & Young (2024) Medical Technology Outlook: Risk and Growth. [Online] Available at: https://www.ey.com(Accessed: 8 August 2025).
Schulze, H. (2019) Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.