A FOUNDER of a globally successful Scottish health tech firm has won a major life sciences award recognising outstanding business leadership.
With a career spanning more than 25 years, Gary Beale, co-founder of health technology leaders Emblation, has led the company through a series of impressive milestones.
From modest start-up roots, he has delivered global sales for the firm’s flagship Swift device, attracted eight-figure investment, and significantly grown the headcount, while masterminding delivery of a showpiece new HQ.
Gary was awarded the prestigious Business Leadership Award at Scotland’s Life Sciences Annual Awards and Dinner last Thursday (14 March) the pinnacle event for the sector celebrating its key contributors for over 20 years.
Speaking after the awards ceremony, Gary said: “From the outset, our mission at Emblation has been driven by a commitment to create superior treatments that provide solutions to patients suffering from a range of debilitating skin conditions.
“It’s been an incredible journey, I’ve been able to witness the growth of our team from the early days of a startup, to where we stand today – achieving record-breaking growth.
“Knowing that Swift has been used in more than 350,000 treatments around the world fills me with immense pride and gratitude for our work so far, but our ground-breaking work in skin cancer is where I believe we will truly make our mark in global healthcare.
“I’m honoured to have won such a prestigious award, it was a fantastic evening seeing all the brilliant minds that are leading the life science sector come together and be recognised for their efforts over the last 12 months.”
The celebration event, which took place at The Hilton Glasgow highlighted and celebrated the major contributions of Scottish people working in the life sciences sector to society.
Gary added: “Last year was a landmark for us, breaking all our financial records with an 86% jump in revenue, it was a clear sign of our team’s incredible spirit and hard work, to ensure our technology is market-leading and the go-to solution for clinicians globally.
“Additionally, relocating our entire team to the new headquarters was a huge undertaking, but the payoff has been incredible. It’s been a significant move, but the positive impact it’s having on our team dynamics and potential for expansion is undeniable and 2024 is another year with great potential for growth for us.”
Gary, and Eamon McErlean, who is the Chief Technology Officer, founded the company after meeting during their post-graduate studies at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.
In 2021, the company received a major investment from Apposite Capital, a London-based healthcare investment firm, which fuelled its rapid global growth and led to the formation of Emblation USA by acquiring a distribution company.
This investment also enabled the creation of new subsidiaries in Canada and Germany and expansion into over 20 additional countries.
As the company grew, its workforce nearly tripled, necessitating a move to larger office space in Castle Business Park, Stirling, from its former Alloa location.
