James Eagle

James Eagle

Export Sales Manager, Pelican Healthcare Ltd

Q: Who are you?

A: James Eagle, Export Sales Manager at Pelican Feminine Healthcare LTD.

Q: How long have you been with the company?

A: I joined the company in August 2010.

Q: What made you choose a career in this industry?

A: I have always been interested in science, and as a result I have an interest in health. It feels great to be involved with products that can improve well-being and that could also potentially help to save lives.

Q: What is your professional background?

A: I started my career in the music industry working in A&R, but then moved into pharmaceuticals about six years ago and have worked in healthcare ever since.

Q: What was your job before this one?

A: I was a territory manager on Pelican Healthcare’s ostomy division.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A: I am keen to help the company to grow, I want to bring new, niche products to market and also to improve and innovate our current range. My main aim is to introduce Pelican Feminine Healthcare’s full range of products into other parts of the world.

Q: Do you find your job rewarding and if so how?

A: Working for the market leader with such a great reputation obviously makes you very proud. It is great being part of a team that are constantly looking to make better products. By working with healthcare professionals we are able to identify problems, develop solutions and the reward comes from improving patient care.

Q: Does your job involve a lot of travelling?

A: A main requirement of my job is to help and support our distributor network across Europe. This means maintaining regular contact, both remote and face to face. It is great spending time in other countries, learning about business practices there, how the different healthcare systems operate and building relationships with people from other cultures. This week I am in Norway, next week Denmark and before the end of the month I will have spent a week in Moscow.

Q: How did the company begin and how long has it been running?

A: Pelican Healthcare was formed in 1994 and we have been manufacturing speculums since then. Pelican Feminine Healthcare LTD was formed in April of this year as a result of our acquisition of Clinical Innovations Europe.

Q: Where is the company based?

A: Pelican Feminine Healthcare is located in Cardiff, Wales.

Q: What is the company focus and what do you offer the gynaecology, midwifery and obstetrics industries?

A: The core of our business, and probably for what we are best known for, is our speculum range. We also manufacture a full range of sterile, single use instruments. With the acquisition Clinical Innovations Europe, we now distribute the Kiwi Omnicup and other products manufactured by Clinical Innovations Inc.

Q: Who are your customers and what products do you offer them?

A: We probably offer too many products to list, but they range from sponge holders, lubricant and dilators to uterine manipulators, proctoscopes and smoke extracting speculums. Our main customers are gynaecologists, practice nurses and obstetricians.

Q: What is your most popular product?

A: Our speculums which are manufactured at our factory in Cardiff are our best seller, and market leader. Our customers demand a quality product and through our years of experience we are able to offer them a product range that meets their needs perfectly.

Q: How do you keep up to date with changes in the market?

A: By listening to our customers, and valuing their feedback, we are always aware of what changes are occurring. The secret of course is then being able to adapt and react to those changes.

Q: Do you have any new products on the horizon?

A: We always have new products in the pipeline, but I will have to answer this very diplomatically by saying that it is the most exciting time in the history of the company as far as new products are concerned. Watch this space!

Q: What makes you different from your competitors?

A: We specialise in gynaecology and obstetric products. Most of our products are manufactured here in Cardiff subject to the strictest quality control. Many of our competitors have a broad range of products and are less focused on any one particular area. We believe this makes us experts in our field.

Q: What technological innovations have you introduced?

A: Product wise we have introduced PELIspec with Light Source, to improve clinical outcomes. We have introduced robotics and invested heavily in automation to improve quality, supply and price of our products.

Q: How successful have you been to date?

A: As market leaders we believe we are ticking all the right boxes, however it is a constant path of innovation and improvement. We are always trying to make things better.

Q: How are you committed to quality?

A: Product quality is at the centre of everything we do. If something is not perfect, it is not acceptable. All our products are CE marked and we are fully ISO accredited. They are all latex free, sterile and comply with national decontamination guidelines.

Q: How important are good customer relations?

A: Our customers are our most important asset. By listening to them, acting on their advice and following up on our promises we are highly respected in the industry. In sticking to our core values of quality, service, trust, innovation and value we have built excellent relations with our customers, and fully intend on keeping it that way.

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