For those of you who know me you are likely aware of the fact that I have worked at Advanced Chemistry Development, ACD/Labs, for over a decade, with the past few years as their Chief Science Officer. During that time I have had the privilege of working with a group of incredibly productive colleagues and have participated in producing some of the most innovative chemistry software in the industry (in my opinion). The scientific intellect within ACD/Labs is simply excellent.
After 10 years of helping ACD/Labs shift from being a start-up in the industry to one of the leading players in the industry I have made a decision to have a change in my career. As a result I have stepped down from my role, have left ACD/labs, and have chosen to take a “personal sabbatical”.
For the next few weeks/months I’m going to take some downtime with my family and focus on some personal projects prior to deciding what to do next with my career. Over the next few months I’m going to finish up a number of publications and probably start writing a couple of books which I have the privilege of co-authoring with colleagues from ACD/Labs and especially with my friend Gary Martin (well-known for his NMR skills as well as his photography). I’m going to apply some more time to ChemSpider and initiate a series of collaborations around the system. I am especially intending to dedicate some more time to what I’ll generically refer to as “family time”…giving back some of the time to my wife and our young twins that a dedicated and busy career has taken away during the long hours of the job.
My departure from ACD/Labs is very amicable. Some of my best friends still work at the company. It is simply time for me to do something different. I am still trying to determine what the next few years hold for me and I still have some specific visions in mind to execute on.
Meanwhile, in my “downtime”, I am interested in participating in any interesting ventures which might keep me connected to the world of chemistry and utilize my skills. My background is outlined in my LinkedIn profile. You know where to contact me…you’re on the right site! Excuse the shameless self-advertising but hey…isn’t it a great use of a blog?