Businessman praises Birmingham following BCU Honorary Doctorate award
Charles de Rohan helped develop Binding Site into a powerhouse in the world of diagnostic testing.
Now the Herefordshire-based businessman, who has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Birmingham City University (BCU), is keen to acknowledge the role Birmingham played in the monumental rise of his former company.
“Birmingham is a great location and there’s so much to it,” said de Rohan, who was CEO of Binding Site for 11 years from 2010. “It possesses the skills, the networks and access to expertise that we needed. It also has the willingness to experiment and try new things. It was perfect for us.”
During his time at the helm, Binding Site, which is based in Five Ways, achieved huge growth, and is now represented in more than 25 countries with revenue streams in the region of £200 million.
“I was glad to play my part,” said de Rohan. “I take an ethical approach to my work, which is why I picked healthcare. The speed of development, the new technology, the new science…. it’s exceedingly exciting, which is why I’m still involved in it.”
De Rohan, who began his career as a trainee chartered accountant at Ernst and Young in the mid-1980s, said one of Birmingham’s attributes is the strength of the partnerships that exist between industry and education, something he was keen to exploit while at Binding Site.
“We wanted to remain the best in class and sell our products around the world, so we had to invest and grow,” he said. “A big part of that was developing new leaders for the business.”
“We collaborated with local universities to identify and nurture talent, offering placements as part of that strategy. Happily, we found these students came back to us when they had completed their studies.”
“These collaborations still exist and providing benefits for everyone. I hope they continue.”
Since stepping down as Binding Site’s CEO, de Rohan has retained a strong commitment to life sciences in the West Midlands, acting as a non-executive director for Medilink Midlands, which has strong ties to BCU. He is also chair of Accelerating Clinical Trials Ltd.
De Rohan said his Honorary Doctorate, which recognises his exceptional service to the City of Birmingham, is for his former colleagues at Binding Site and “everybody that enabled us to become successful”, adding: “I’m receiving it on behalf of the company”.
And he has these words of wisdom for the graduates who will join him on stage at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall in January: “Graduating doesn’t mean the end of your learning. This is a significant milestone, yes, but not the last one. Every day should be a learning day.”