Chief Executive Officer, Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Learning from leaders: RSC CEO Dr Helen Pain talks to early career researchers at IISc Bengaluru
As part of her recent trip to India, Royal Society of Chemistry CEO Dr Helen Pain spoke to early career researchers from the Materials Research Centre at IISC, Bengaluru
About Helen Pain
Dr Helen Pain, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), has continued to engage with early career researchers and advocate for inclusion and diversity in STEM. In November 2024, she spoke to PhD students at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru, discussing the changing publishing landscape, the importance of communicating research, and career opportunities outside academia. Pain told the students that publishing during a PhD is not always possible and that this "is not a reflection on the student." She also addressed a comment made during her own PhD that pursuing a doctorate meant choosing not to have a family, calling that notion "absolute nonsense" and noting that she has two sons who studied chemistry. Pain has also highlighted the RSC's work on equity and data-driven change. In a 2024 podcast, she described a turning point when the RSC decided to publish uncomfortable findings about workplace culture in chemistry, saying a colleague told her to "be brave" and that "we've got the evidence, we've got the data therefore we publish." She has credited her school chemistry teacher, Dr Sheila Cousins, with inspiring her career, and noted that her first boss at the RSC, Jane Sutton, gave her the initial opportunity. Pain also chairs the Technician Commitment Steering Board, which she said has secured over 100 signatory institutions and unlocked millions of pounds in investment for technical roles in higher education and research.
Transcript (29 segments)
A
Aastan0:11
Hello everyone, I'm Aastan and I am here today with my two PhD colleagues, Miss Prti and Miss Saati. We are excited to bring you a very special podcast featuring the CEO of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Dr. Helen Pain. Dr. Helen is a well-known figure in the research community and hardly needs an introduction, but I would still like to briefly highlight some of her remarkable achievements. Dr. Helen completed her PhD in coordination chemistry at the University of Exeter in the UK. Shortly after, she began her journey at the Royal Society of Chemistry in marketing and communication. Over her remarkable 30-year career with the RSC, she has taken on various roles including Chartered Chemist and Chartered Scientist. Dr. Helen has held several strategic leadership positions, progressing from Executive Director to Deputy Chief Executive Officer and now CEO. From 2018 to 2021, Dr. Helen served as Chair of the Science Council UK, where she played a pivotal role in advancing science and the profession. She has also spearheaded international campaigns focusing on inclusion and diversity in science and has been a strong advocate for addressing global challenges through chemical sciences. We are delighted to have Dr. Pain with us today. She will share her insights on leadership, the future of the publishing process, and career opportunities for PhD students outside of academia. So please join me in welcoming Dr. Helen Pain. Welcome, ma'am.
H
Helen Pain1:40
Oh thank you so much for having me.
A
Aastan1:40
So ma'am, when I was reading your biography, I noticed you immediately joined the RSC after completing your PhD. So how was this transition from academia to a publishing house, and what motivated you to go for a publishing house, leaving academia?
H
Helen Pain1:56
Gosh, so you've correctly identified that I've been with the Royal Society of Chemistry for 30 years – that's my whole career spent at the RSC. But before that, as you pointed out, I did a degree and PhD in chemistry at the University of Exeter. I think when I was doing my PhD, I loved the science, I enjoyed the curiosity of doing chemistry, I liked being in the lab, I liked doing research, and I got a huge amount from it both personally but also from the community I belonged to at Exeter and the broader chemical science community. But what became really clear to me when I was doing my PhD was that my real motivation was working with people and working within the community. I think at the point that I chose to move out of academia, the opportunities 30 years ago, particularly for women in chemistry, weren't quite so clear to me. The incentivization or the encouragement to stay in academia wasn't as great as it might be today. Partly because I was really keen to work with people, the opportunity at the RSC came up and I made that transition. I am really, really pleased I did because it has served me really well for 30 years, and I've developed a strong career at the RSC. But equally, I'm really curious now about what it might have been like to stay in academia, so I think I have seen both sides. I do miss the research; I could have missed that being in the lab. But I've done some amazing things since then, and it's because of the people I work with.
A
Aastan7:16
Thank you, ma'am. Since you have experience in both research and leading a major organization like the RSC, what is more challenging for you: doing research and publishing papers, or leading a major publishing house?
H
Helen Pain7:33
You asked me about what's more challenging – leading the Royal Society of Chemistry and a publishing business, or working in research. In my experience, both bring challenges and opportunities. Leading the RSC came 20–30 years after doing my research. I remember being in the lab during my PhD and facing significant challenges when experiments didn't work, worrying about results. I actually changed the focus of my PhD after my first year, moving from ferrocene to something else linked by variable temperature NMR. That taught me that it's absolutely fine when things don't go according to plan; you can start again. Fast forward to my role now, I still draw on that experience. The scale of responsibility is much greater, but the fundamentals are similar – thinking about next steps, planning ahead. My training as a chemist and research student has stood me in good stead. The PhD teaches you resilience, and you may not know it yet, but you will realize how much resilience you have developed. You will draw on it so often. I'm a great one for planning ahead and reflecting. When I have a difficult choice, I think back to challenges at university, moments when I failed or had to change something. If I could cope with that, I can cope with this, even though the scale and context are different.
A
Aastan11:36
Thank you, ma'am. Now that you are very busy with your schedule, do you sometimes miss your PhD days or the research culture at university? Do you miss that, like when experiments aren't working and things aren't going the way they should?
H
Helen Pain12:01
There are parts I miss. I miss being trained in lab techniques, analyzing data, interpreting spectra. If I could go back into the lab, my skills wouldn't be at your level, but I almost wish I could. However, I still use transferable skills in my job. Even as CEO, I need to be articulate in chemistry terminology to be credible. There is a link between what I did as a PhD student and what I do now.
A
Aastan14:21
So, ma'am, whenever we are doing a PhD, you might have also had that time when you thought about having more papers and publishing more because it's an important milestone. How important is it for students to engage with the publishing process? What tips and strategies would you like to give us to improve our chances of successful publication?
H
Helen Pain14:57
The first thing I'd say is that during your PhD, publications are important but not the only focus. Don't obsess over the number of papers. Some students are lucky to publish from their PhD; I was fortunate. Many don't, and that's not a reflection on the student but on the nature of the research or the supervisor's focus. It is important to be aware of the publishing process and to communicate your research, whether through peer-reviewed publications, conferences, posters, or online discussions. That is a good skill to gather. Research is done to make our understanding better and eventually have an impact. So use your PhD to understand publications: read papers, learn about writing a paper, abstracts, presenting data. Attend conferences. Also, the world of publishing is shifting to open access, which is good. Don't always strive for the highest journal; use the opportunity to get yourself known and your research out there.
A
Aastan18:25
And so, ma'am, what are the greatest challenges you faced during your transition from academia to a publishing role? Because you come from a chemistry background, it might be difficult for someone to go from chemistry to publishing. What were the challenges?
H
Helen Pain18:47
I'm not sure that is a challenge. Transitioning from academia to publishing was easy for me because my early career was with the membership community. One privilege of chemistry is belonging to a global chemical science community. That community is there for you forever. For me, the transition was straightforward because I started a job traveling around the UK talking to students about the value of being an RSC member and the excitement of chemistry. That was a natural continuation.
A
Aastan20:17
And what about the specific challenges faced by women in this field? Is there gender bias, and how is the RSC working to address those challenges?
H
Helen Pain20:24
There are two parts to your question. First, women should feel able to pursue any career that excites them. Everyone who studies chemistry is equal. Women should feel confident. I was once told that by doing a PhD, I had taken a decision not to get married or have a family – that is nonsense. I have a family and two sons. It is possible. But there are challenges, and the RSC has done research showing that women haven't progressed as far in academia due to cultural barriers. We have put in place best practices and taken action to change that culture. It happens slowly, but it must change. At the RSC, we work on gender bias in publishing, particularly peer review and reviewing, to ensure support. Our employee base is over 60% female, and we have positive support for families. We take proactive action, but the whole community needs to work together to call out behaviors that prevent women's progression.
A
Aastan23:47
Ma'am, as we know, work-life balance in academia is very much a 24/7 job. Is it the same in a publishing house?
H
Helen Pain24:01
Work-life balance in a publishing house is very different from academia. In academia, you make it what it is. No one should need to work 24/7. In publishing, there is still travel that can impact balance, but at the RSC we have a 35-hour week over 5 days and offer flexible working to help people balance family commitments. It's important for individuals to own their own work-life balance and feel confident structuring work to meet their needs. Everyone should have a good work-life balance.
A
Aastan25:27
As you said, work-life balance is better compared to academia. So what other activities do you enjoy outside of work?
H
Helen Pain25:38
I have a family, so that comes first. I enjoy family life. For the last 12–15 years, I've been actively engaged in local education. I became a school governor, then chair of governors, then chair of a multi-academy trust. So a lot of my outside time is applying what I do at work to the local community. I'm passionate about making a difference. If you ask me my real passion, I love architectural and interior design. If I had my career over again, I'd be an interior designer. I enjoy the history of architecture and how we use space.
A
Aastan26:59
Was this interest from the beginning, or did you realize over time that you like interior design?
H
Helen Pain27:14
I think I've always liked interior design. As a child, we moved a lot, so I always had a new room to decorate. More recently, I was given a project to refurbish the library at the RSC's Burlington House, and that developed my love for historical buildings and interior design.
A
Aastan27:47
So, remember you joined the RSC 30 years ago. Did you ever think you would become the CEO?
H
Helen Pain27:58
Not from the very beginning. I intended to stay three years, but opportunities kept coming. Probably in the last 10–15 years, I started to think I could be CEO.
A
Aastan29:01
In your biography, I also read that you later studied business or started a business?
H
Helen Pain29:09
Yes, I've done marketing qualifications. Chemistry gave me transferable skills, but when you get into your career, you realize you need continued professional development. So I've done courses and qualifications in business and marketing.
A
Aastan29:33
And ma'am, do you have any questions for us?
H
Helen Pain29:38
My question for you is: thinking about the RSC's role in the wider community, is there more that the RSC could do to support students during their PhD and with their career aspirations?
A
Aastan29:58
I personally feel that exposure to career opportunities outside academia is still limited in India. Only in the last 2–3 years did I learn that we can have a career in publishing. When I was in college, I didn't know that after a PhD we could move into such careers. So there is a lack of exposure. I think the RSC could take a lead by organizing outreach programs and interactive sessions with students like us, maybe more one-on-one sessions. But it's good to know that kind of activity is supportive.
So thank you, Dr. Helen, for joining us today and sharing insightful thoughts about career opportunities outside academia and your journey and personal challenges. It was really inspiring for us, especially because you are from a chemistry background, so we feel closer to you. It was really nice talking to another chemist. Thank you.
H
Helen Pain31:22
Well, my pleasure. Thank you so much for inviting me. It's been wonderful to meet you. Thank you.