The peptide pioneer who was named CMI Apprentice of the Year

We’re always amazed by the sheer range of fields in which CMI members build and apply their management expertise. At this year’s CMI Awards of Excellence, we were delighted to present our Apprentice of the Year award to Dr Hannah Bolt CMgr FCMI, head of peptide discovery at AstraZeneca.

Peptides are the ‘building blocks’ of proteins that may carry anti-inflammatory and muscle-building benefits. Hannah is an emerging leader in this pharmaceutical niche, with more than ten years’ experience, and has delivered several peptide candidates that are currently moving through clinical phases of development. 

Record-breaking marks

Hannah’s educational background was as a scientist. She was less confident as a manager. So when she became a team leader, she opted to enrol on a Level 7 Senior Leadership Apprenticeship at Keele Business School. She said the course gave her “practical frameworks, business acumen and reflective tools to lead people and strategy with clarity and empathy”. 

Any lack of confidence was misplaced: Hannah scored one of the highest marks in her programme’s history while delivering a multimillion-dollar investment case at work. This impressed our judges, as did Hannah’s significant organisational impact. Describing her as a “strategic senior leader”, the panel highlighted her success in reducing hazardous waste and accelerating project timelines by 25%. 

“Real impact”

Reflecting on her successful awards entry, Hannah described herself as “incredibly proud” to have won, and said the award ceremony was “a valuable moment to reflect on the real impact of completing the Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship”.