NSBE - Winter 2013 - (Page 12)

Steven Henderson of Life Technologies a Sales Leader pays it Forward By Siobhan Leftwich w “There are unlimited opportunities for biochemical engineers here, not to mention (positions in) core business functions such as finance, law and human resources.” e all remember pivotal moments in our lives. Steven Henderson is no exception. “I was a student at San Bernardino High School, and my counselor told me about a local doctor who was sponsoring students for a Region VI NSBE summer camp program,” recalls the San Bernardino, Calif., native. “Being a serious chemistry geek, I leapt at the chance.” In the process, the budding pharmacist discovered engineering and gained a lifelong mentor in cardiologist Ernest C. Levister Jr., M.D. “As a kid, I was very strong in math,” says Henderson, who studied chemical engineering, with a biochemical emphasis, at the University of California, Riverside. “But when I went to high school, chemistry became my favorite subject. I loved the chemistry lab and really saw myself becoming a pharmacist.” “Dr. Levister advised me that pursuing a degree in pharmacy would limit my options,” says Henderson. “He encouraged me to pursue chemical engineering, which would give me the flexibility to choose pharmacy or chemical engineering after I graduated from college.” Thanks to Dr. Levister, Henderson has found the best of both worlds at Life Technologies, a global biotech leader named one of Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies in 2012. Henderson, who has been with Life Technologies since 2005, admits that his career trajectory is the result of careful planning. “My first job after college was working as a process engineer for a cheese plant,” recalls Henderson. From there, he accepted his first dream job, at Amgen Inc., before moving to B. Braun McGaw. In addition to working full time, he earned a Professional Engineer (PE) license. After leaving B. Braun McGaw, Henderson decided to put up his own shingle. “Like a lot of young engineers, I wanted to start my own consulting practice,” he says. One of his many accounts was with Invitrogen, which later became Life Technologies. “I was very interested in the technologies they were working on. Seeing the company’s transformation from concentrating on advanced technologies to personalized medicine was amazing.” While consulting, Henderson decided to earn an M.B.A. — with a focus on biotechnology business strategy, organizational strategy and information science management — from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management in Claremont, Calif. Henderson says these concentrations, especially the information science management component, helped make him more attractive to Life Technologies, which offered him a full-time position as a project manager in 2007. Henderson loves his work. “Life Technologies is a standout company, because we are No. 1 in DNA sequencing technology, as well as being strong in environmental health, molecular biology, genomic science and bioinformatics,” he says. “There are unlimited opportunities for biochemical engineers here, not to mention (positions in) core business functions such as finance, law and human resources.” “Right now, there is a lot of opportunity in bioinformatics, because sequencing technology produces a ton of data,” he says. “And the need for forensic scientists is off the charts.” When he’s not meeting clients and solving problems, you’ll often find Henderson spending quality time with his family, which includes his wife, Susan; daughters Sasha, Tane’ya and Sydney; and sons Steven and Elijah. And he’s committed to giving back. In addition to mentoring NSBE students at UC Riverside, he works with his fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, to raise money for scholarship programs, and participates in NSBE’s Summer Engineering Experience for Kids (SEEK) program. Henderson credits his mentor, Dr. Levister, with putting him on a career path that has exceeded his wildest dreams. “Every young person needs a mentor like him,” he says. “He introduced me to NSBE, encouraged me to network and pursue internships when I was in college, and really stressed the importance of choosing the right major. I can’t thank him enough. Now it’s my turn to pay it forward.” ■ www.nsbe.org 12 • nsbe magazine • winter 2013 http://www.nsbe.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE - Winter 2013

NSBE - Winter 2013
Contents
Graduation! Pump Up the Party
Clean Up Your Digital Brand
Reelected
ITW’s Dr. Alexander Anim- Mensah
Steven Henderson of Life Technologies
Patricia Edmonds of NAVAIR
Franklin E. Leaven Jr. of GE Transportation
General Mills: Winning through Diversity
Eye of the Tiger
39TH ANNUAL CONVENTION PREVIEW
Golden Torch Honorees
The Professional’s Perspective
Trailblazers
Professional Development Conference Recap
CE Cover CODE2040: Grooming Business Leaders in Silicon Valley
Uhuru: Freedom
‘To Increase the Number…’
NSBE Calendar
NCEES Employer Profile
Advertisers Index

NSBE - Winter 2013