
We are Searchlight
Our mission is to help Searchlight members increase their business through a structured, positive and professional program that enables them to develop long-term, meaningful relationships with the most engaged stakeholders in key scientific communities.
What we do
Niche
products
We create niche products for people who need access to timely information. Searchlight helps members to avoid common road blocks to scientific success so that they can move forward faster.
Life
sciences
Supporting and creating opportunity for the life sciences community underpins everything we. We offer our members the right insight to make all the difference.
Ready-made
networks
By creating ready-made networks of hand-picked peers working in a facilitated, structured but boundaryless way throughout the year
Accelerate
performance
We accelerate the performance of businesses and the delivery of better drugs to patients faster all around the world.
How we do it
Clarity
Hanson Wade gives life sciences leaders the clarity to see where opportunity lies. Helping companies to move forward faster is at the heart of everything we do.
Co-creation
Designed for the life sciences industry, for the life sciences industry. We work with the most engaged professionals in highly specialised scientific areas to co-create networks with purpose.
Custodians
We are the custodians of the Searchlight communities on behalf of our members; engaged in the constant pursuit of added value.
Communication
By focusing on emerging therapeutic areas where the quality of information is the difference between success and failure, we help get better drugs to patients faster.
Connection
Building strong relationships creates an environment of trust and support that yields opportunity and meaning.

Don’t just take our word for it…
“There is a huge benefit for all of us in the strategic exchange of what’s working - and what’s not - in the fast-moving fields in which we’re all engaged”

Oliver Kraemer
Head of Gene Edited Platforms Bristol Myers Squibb
“This network brings me such value because it allows me to work with brilliant people to tackle shared challenges together.”

Sally Paull
Chief Human Resources Officer Regeneron
“It’s just not efficient for individual companies to work in isolation so solve the common problems we share, which makes this so vital.”

Steve Kelsey
President - Research & Development Revolution Medicines
Our team

Gareth Pearce
Managing Director
Gareth established and is responsible for developing the strategic direction of the Searchlight business within Hanson Wade, ensuring continues to add demonstrable value to every member as it scales. Gareth has successfully built and grown information businesses in the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East during a 20 year entrepreneurial career. He holds a first class degree in Politics and earned a postgraduate Certificate in International Business Practice from the Mountbatten Institute in New York.

James Milburn
Senior Community Development Manager
James’s life sciences experience begin by helping key opinion leaders network and share ideas around the application of cutting-edge technology, the pursuit of novel pharmacochemical pathways and the development of new drug modalities. Prior to Hanson Wade, James completed an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences and followed this up with an MSc in Human Nutrition. In his free time, he enjoys endurance running and all types of outdoor activities.

Michelle Fanus St Hill
Head of Member Delivery
Michelle develops and manages Searchlight within Hanson Wade and has a conference research and production career spanning 20+ years – designing and delivering events all over the world. She was a business owner and entrepreneur for 10 years, becoming a published and contributing author during that time and lecturing more than 300 students on Event Management degrees and several of her own private courses.

Tayo MacCanna
Project Development Director
Tayo is responsible for developing new Searchlight groups that deliver year-round insights and connections to members. Tayo has built and been at the forefront of running successful teams, managing multiple portfolios of small and large scale events whilst driving strategic growth across an 8 year career. She graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from Southampton Solent University.

Amy Bamford
Portfolio Development Director
Amy is responsible for creating innovative year-round Searchlight networks for the most engaged stakeholders in key life sciences communities. Prior to joining Hanson Wade, Amy worked in academic publishing for six years, focusing on the expansion and revenue-generation of digital hubs devoted to specialised fields of science like regenerative medicine, bioanalysis, and oncology. She graduated from the University of Reading with a degree in Biological Sciences.

Matthew Bray
Portfolio Development Director
Matt is responsible for developing new Searchlight Networks to complement Hanson Wade’s fastest growing events, in line with the goals of member companies and scientific communities at large. Matt’s commercially focused background includes experience in academic publishing as well as a Master’s degree in Bio-Business and undergraduate degree in Bioveterinary Science. Matt is passionate about the business of science and is also a keen Chicago Bulls fan.

Jack Hayes
Community Development Manager
Jack is responsible for leading the Accelerated ADC Discovery, Cell Therapy Analytical Development and RAS Targeted Therapies Searchlight Networks. Facilitating the acceleration of shared R&D challenges in these ever-growing fields are a key goal of his. He focuses lots of time passionately engaging with highly invested drug developers at a variety of companies to help them reach their goals more efficiently through delivering bespoke, group and community level value. Previously Jack worked closely with researchers in environmental sciences as a free lancer and loves engaging with scientists searching for faster pathways to bring them closer to their ambitions. Jack graduated with a Masters in Biodiversity, a degree in Marine Biology and has always expressed a love for science.

Karolina Hasiec
Community Development Manager
Karolina is dedicated to delivering year-round insights and connections to Searchlight members. She is excited to identify and apply the recent learnings to reimagine the institutions, policies, and tools we use across the Life Sciences to address global health needs for all. Prior to joining the Searchlight Networks team, Karolina completed an MSc in Applied Neuroscience and followed this up with a Neuroimaging course. In her free time, she trains boxing and enjoys playing volleyball.

Ian Appleby
Divisional Head of Searchlight Sales
Ian is a sales professional who has many years of experience delivering sales excellence training to teams in many varied sectors. This translates demonstrably into value for clients. He has a passion for sales methodologies which put the client at the centre of what we do. The companies he has worked for include Informa, EMAP, The Middle East Economic Digest and The Economist. He has travelled extensively with his work taking him across North Africa, the Gulf States and the Levant. He has launched, transitioned and re-designed many subscriptions business to bring them in line with the digital age.

Adam Daly
Commercial Lead
As the Searchlight groups seek new members who share the same forward-thinking mindset, Adam is responsible for facilitating new memberships. Adam achieved his undergraduate degree in Environmental Sciences at Newcastle University, before he started his journey at Hanson Wade in Delegate Sales. Adam wanted to help grow and expand the Network with members dedicated to helping each other, this is what drew him to work in the Searchlight Team.

Jamie Redmond
Business Development Manager
Jamie is responsible for the expansion of networks in the life sciences sector, by engaging new members and portraying the multi-faceted layers of value that Searchlight has to offer. Through learning the challenges and frustrations individuals are dealing with in the industry, Jamie discovers the critical need of leaders in the field for this forum and assists them in the process of joining the Searchlight community. Jamie studied English Literature at the University of Birmingham, graduating in 2022. He joined Searchlight after working as a Delegate Sales Executive for five months at Hanson Wade – Conferences.

Maia Sethi
Business Development Manager
Maia is a life science enthusiast with a degree in Biological Sciences, specializing in Molecular Biology. After working as a Delegate Sales Executive for 7 months on CTxAD and LEAP HR, Maia found her calling working with drug developers in the ADC, Ras, TPD, and mRNA fields, taking the leap into Hanson Wade’s Searchlight to collaborate with highly invested companies and drive positive change in the industry. With her passion and drive, Maia is excited to build innovative networks for the industry’s top professionals. In her free time, Maia loves netball and nature walks and is fascinated by astrology. She is also big fan of networking and is always open to connecting with new people and exploring new opportunities to collaborate. So, if you’re interested in finding the right network for yourself, or just want to chat about astrology, don’t hesitate to connect with Maia on LinkedIn. She would love to hear from you!

Caylee Donaldson
Head of Marketing
Caylee joined Hanson Wade in 2022 to lead the new divisions marketing team responsible for Searchlight by Hanson Wade, Hanson Wade Intelligence, and free-to-attend events. Caylee is passionate about responsible marketing and creating strategic tactical plans designed to deliver real value to our communities, customers, and clients. Caylee graduated from the Institute of Data and Marketing with a level 7 post graduate diploma in data driven marketing.



George Nelson
Marketing Assistant
George graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2023 with an MA in Creative Writing, following an undergraduate degree in English Literature. She is excited to develop her strategic and analytical abilities as she assists in marketing the Searchlight networks.
Searchlight helps members move forward faster

Join the team
The extraordinary demand for the service we offer to the life sciences industry means we’re very much a growth business. If you’d like to join our dynamic team, we’d welcome the chance to hear from you. Send your details to [email protected].