Alumni
Profiles of Success
Gordon Mallett Ph.D.
Consultant
CGMPartners
Ph.D. Bacteriology 1956, Purdue
"My career evolved through a series of steps, and no one of those steps
was a ‘great leap' from research to management," states Gordon Mallett,
whose career path began to formulate when he was a high school student during
World War II. "I worked in the laboratory at the Ideal Pure Milk Company
in Evansville," he recalls. "I did simple chemical and bacteriological
testing and developed a love for lab work."
Gordon's commitment to science propelled him on a walk up the corporate ladder,
taking him from a position as a bench scientist to the role of Director of
Corporate Quality Assurance at Eli Lilly and Company.
To pursue his interest in chemical processes, Gordon came to Purdue University, where he earned a B.S. in chemistry and a Ph.D. in microbiology. "The rich mixture of chemistry and microbiology was invaluable, preparing me to understand a wide variety of chemical and biological challenges," says Gordon. He also gained insight into the scientific method through interactions with his professors. "They taught me to reach into the heart of the matter, find what was really true, and not to settle for the quick and easy (and maybe wrong) answer." Gordon was also exposed to physics and physicists through his work with the electron microscope. "This diversity was a great asset," he remarks.
After earning his degree, Gordon took a job with the Biological Warfare Laboratories at Fort Detrick, Maryland for a year. He then joined Eli Lilly in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he built his career and remained for the next thirty-two years. "I worked at a bench, growing cultures of various organisms, adding substrates, and isolating and identifying new molecules," he says. After leading a small group in his lab for the first six to seven years, Gordon was given the opportunity to lead a larger group of other biochemists and microbiologists. This position allowed him to gain experience in personnel, budgets, goal setting, and prioritizing. "I found that doing these things well was a source of satisfaction, and doing them well was rewarded with recognition," he remarks.
In 1966 Gordon took on the role of Manager of the Fermentation Products Research Department, and within a year was named Director of the Fermentation Products Research Division. In 1969 Eli Lilly presented him with the unique opportunity of serving as the Director of Research at the Lilly Research Centre in England, and he and his family moved there for six years. "Working and living in England was a positive life-changing experience for me," recalls Gordon. "My family and I were totally immersed in the community, in the culture, in the way of life. We learned that we could stand up, step out, live and thrive in a new and different environment." His position proved rewarding, teaching him a great deal about management. "I was exposed to a great variety of general management issues that would have been solved by specialists in Indianapolis," he explains. "When that tour of duty was done, I had matured, I was ready to step into corporate management."
Upon returning to the U.S., Gordon was given the position of Director of Corporate Quality Assurance, in which he was responsible for assessing whether the manufacturing operations and products of the company complied with Lilly's own standards, as well as with US government regulations. He became involved in planning and auditing activities, conducting recalls, working with FDA inspectors, and consulting with production operations about regulatory requirements. This was a job "in which science, logic, law, and corporate values were all involved as I carried out my responsibilities," he states.
According to Gordon, the future is bright for today's biology students. "The 21st century is unquestionably a golden age of biology," he contends. "There are great opportunities to contribute to knowledge and understanding, and in applied biology there are opportunities to contribute to medicine, conservation, food science, and the survival of human beings on this planet." To gain access to such experiences, Gordon recommends that students seek employment to gain experience in simply being on time, meeting a schedule, and shouldering responsibility. He further encourages students to look beyond science-based organizations when seeking an internship. "Many companies that are not thought of as science-based have laboratories and testing activities that provide good experience," he states. "And on your job, think critically about what is going on around you."
Since his retirement from Lilly, Gordon has been active in Purdue and Purdue Alumni affairs, with membership in the President's Council, the John Purdue Club, and the Purdue Alumni Association. He is also treasurer of the Purdue Association of Indianapolis (PAI) and treasurer of the PAI Scholarship Committee.
Retirement also allows Gordon time to foster his interest in the arts, a passion that developed and grew while he was a student at Purdue. "These things enriched my life, expanded my perspective and helped broaden my impact and increase my effectiveness," he comments. Gordon serves as a volunteer with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO), is a member of the ISO Board of Directors, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Board. He and his wife Carole are ISO season ticket holders and had the opportunity to travel with the ISO on the European Tours of 1993 and 1997. Gordon also works to support the arts at Purdue, where he has accepted a position on the Visual and Performing Arts Center Campaign Steering Committee.
At the President's Council Weekend in the Fall of 2001, Gordon and his wife were presented with the President's Council Distinguished Service Award for their dedication and distinguished service to Purdue University.