The Optimal Team

Within Optimal we have a large team of dedicated professionals who are actively working on synTQ software and synTQ projects.  In brief, these are:

Development Team

The largest single team within Optimal is the product development team. The team is divided into the product core development team and the adapter development team.

synTQ is a large, flexible product, of which two installations are rarely the same.  The core synTQ product is widely used and well received.  We are dedicated to continually refining and advancing the product as more is learnt by our users and by ourselves.  The synTQ development process is relentless, as our team adapt the product by anticipating the needs of the market over the coming months and years.

We follow an extensive product roadmap to ensure that, as well as supporting legacy systems, we are able to provide ever more functionality that will generate useful benefits and gains.  These last points are important – we are not developing for the sake of it, we are developing to provide users with tangible, useful, additional benefits.

Despite an enviable portfolio of adapters – currently numbering nearly 100 different instrument, MVA, third-party software and I/O adapters – as synTQ is used in more and more projects, the need for new and updated adapters continues unabated.  To meet this need, we have a separate, dedicated Adapter Development team.  As their name implies, they specialise in adapter development of all forms and have developed an enviable and wide-ranging skillset for third-party hardware and software systems.

If services are required for a project delivery, then the most appropriate engineers from the development team will be matched with the specific requirements of your project. You can rest assured that there are very knowledgeable engineer(s) working on your project team.

  • Technical Director: Andy Sweeney
  • Product Delivery Manager: Alex Romanov

Innovations Team

The Innovations team is distinct as it comprises of ‘blue-sky’ engineers, scientists and data scientists who are developing the concepts and technology for future releases of synTQ.  Whilst there are clear roadmap objectives for the company, the team have considerable latitude to use their skills and knowledge to develop and test new and novel techniques to optimise problem solving.  If Optimal or a client requires a new technique that is not a purely logical, programmable function but one that requires research, development, complex mathematics, and testing, the Innovations Team will take on the challenge!

Test Team

Although the development engineers execute their own unit tests to ensure quality to a first pass level, it is never wise to only have a software engineer test their own work.  We have a separate skilled team of test engineers who run thousands of automated and manual tests on the software in compliance with pre-written test scripts in order to assure the quality of the end product.  All testing is rigorous, documented and traceable to the original requirements.

Project Delivery

Our project delivery Project Managers oversee all aspects of the deployment of a synTQ project.  Rather than focusing on product development, this team are dedicated to supporting our partners and end users during the deployment process.  This team are well versed in all aspects of synTQ deployment including the documentation requirements necessary for a validated system.  The team work closely with members of the synTQ Assured team and, where required, technical specialists from the development team to provide a high quality and highly relevant engineering resource

Quality Team

To ensure that we have a complete, coherent, documented, traceable, and auditable project and product lifecycle system, we have a dedicated quality team who put the systems in place and then continuously monitor adherence to the policies.  Where improvements are identified, the team implement the changes and inform all affected personnel.  Optimal has been successfully audited many times by leading pharmaceutical companies, and so you can be assured of first-class quality and compliance.

The synTQ Assured Team

Our dedicated synTQ support team delivers 24/7/365 support to our Assured customers.  Our support team also carries out most synTQ deployments, 99% being possible remotely.  The team is comprised of experienced engineers who can provide help and assistance in relation to any issue that you are experiencing. If the issue is product-related, the support engineer will request assistance from the most appropriate development engineer.  Full details about synTQ Assured can be found here.

Business Development & Sales

Our Business Development and Sales team build relationships with clients and associates around the world.

  • VP of Optimal: Martin Gadsby (primary sales responsibility: Asia)
  • Innovations Director: Paul Gillham (Technical Sales Manager)
  • Business Development Managers (Primary sales responsibility: Americas)
    • Ryan Dougall
    • Jonathan Stratton
    • Callum Ross
  • Business Development Managers (Primary sales responsibility: Europe)
    • Michael Sachpekidis
    • Manuel Kuhs
    • Fredrick Okaroh
    • Dominic Naish-Cork (Technical Account Development Specialist)

Management 

The management team is comprised of three directors and six senior managers, who are assisted by several departmental managers.

  • VP: Martin Gadsby
  • Technical Director: Andy Sweeney
  • Innovations Team Director: Paul Gillham
  • Product Delivery Manager: Alex Romanov
  • Finance Manager: Jill Langley
  • General/HR Manager: Noel Batten
  • Quality Manager: Peter Stacey
  • Support Manager: Yinhe Gong
  • Test Team Manager: Sam Mitchinson