Welcome to the team: Kavya Mehndiratta

We’re thrilled to welcome Kavya Mehndiratta to the Wentworth team as a Consultant! 

Kavya holds an MSc in Manufacturing and Commercialisation of Cell and Gene Therapies from University College London and joined us after a successful internship. With a strong passion for biotechnology and life sciences, she brings valuable industry insights and expertise to our team. 

In this interview, we get to know more about Kavya—her journey into life sciences, her motivations, and what excites her most about her new role at Wentworth. 

Tell us a little about yourself and your background. What was your motivation for joining the life sciences industry? 

I was born and brought up in New Delhi, India as an only child to two economics and finance enthusiasts, so no one in my family had ever pursued science!  

When I was 16 years old, I was in high school in New Delhi and a biotechnology workshop was first conducted for the senior classes. During that workshop, we were taught to extract our own DNA from saliva samples! This was the beginning of my motivation to study and build a career in biotech, as I started to realise the real-world potential and applications of biology concepts that I had only ever read before in theory.   

As I continued my studies and saw the tangible differences made to patients’ lives, by promoting accessibility to commercialised healthcare products and innovations, my motivation only grew stronger.  

What excites you most about working at Wentworth and what are you looking forward to in your role? 

My time at Wentworth till now has been nothing short of insightful. I have learnt a great deal ever since I started as an intern, and the never-ending opportunity to learn is what excites me the most. Additionally, the mission–led values of the team, in doing our part in forming sustainable workplaces and teams, to eventually contribute to the bigger picture of bettering patient lives, align very closely with my career goals and keep me motivated and excited at work every day!  

I am looking forward to having more insightful conversations with diverse clients and understanding their vision behind starting a company in their niches.  

What was your first impression of the company and team culture? 

From my first day as an intern at the company, I have always felt very supported and appreciated by the whole team. I am grateful to be working with a team of collaborative individuals, who never hesitate from helping each other out and appreciate you for the work you do. This kind of workplace support has truly been motivational and encouraging and has only pushed me to do my best as well.  

What are your interests outside of work?

Outside of work, I love to read. I used to be an avid reader and am trying to get back to that, but whenever possible, I am reading. I am also attempting to write a book around my experience of living away from my home country for the past eight years and the experiences and challenges that has bought with it. And whenever the London weather permits, I am out and about exploring the many cafes and restaurants to satisfy my foodie self!  

What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you? 

It may be surprising for some that I can play three different instruments – the piano, sitar and harmonium and that I am also working on writing a book!  

Is there a particular area of life sciences that interests you and why? 

I am particularly interested in Biotechnology, which is a wide branch of life sciences, but the practical use of biotech innovations is what intrigues me the most. I am particularly interested also in Cell and Gene Therapies. I think it’s beneficial to have tailored therapies to patient needs and these have the potential to treat diseases that have no current cure in the markets.  

If 16 year old you could see you now  what do you think they’d say? 

I think 16 year-old Kavya, sitting in that biotech workshop during school, would be proud to see that we turned a thought of pursuing biotechnology into a reality. Stepping out of a cocooned life, jumping through continents and developing a sense of self is something that she would never imagine. Seeing me today, building a career in the life sciences, in a completely new country, would shock her but also make her proud.  

What advice would you give to someone just starting their career in life sciences?  

Network! Reaching out to people and building a personal as well as a professional network is key to success in any industry today. A passion for the sciences, interest in current affairs of the industry and constantly building knowledge is also key but to network and reach out to people to be able to find the right kind of professional opportunities is very important.  

Get in touch with Kavya 

Kavya's passion for and knowledge of biotechnology, make her a fantastic addition to the Wentworth team. We’re excited to see the positive impact she will have on our business, clients and the professionals we support. 

If you’d like to arrange an informal chat with Kavya to discuss your company’s talent needs, email kavya@wentworth.life or connect with her via Linkedin.