Meredith Willmott has recently been promoted to Senior Events Manager in EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute’s training team. We last interviewed her mid-pandemic in 2020, so let’s catch up with Meredith and see what she’s been up to since then.

Meredith Willmott, Senior Events Manager, EMBL-EBI. Image credit: Jeff Dowling/EMBL-EBI

We last spoke to you as you were pivoting to virtual events mid-pandemic. How have things developed in the world of events since then?

It’s been quite a journey. Back in 2020, we were learning everything about running virtual courses as we were doing them. Things like how to keep people engaged online and how to make networking work remotely were challenges. Since then, we’ve evolved into a hybrid world. We now run a mix of in-person and virtual courses. What’s been great is that we can now reach so many more people around the world, making our courses more inclusive, while still offering that valuable in-person experience onsite at EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute. 

Congratulations on your recent promotion; what part of the role were you most attracted to?

Thank you! I was especially drawn to the opportunity to support and develop the team while helping shape the future of our courses. I love seeing people grow in their roles and bringing new ideas to life, and this position gives me the space to encourage that creativity and collaboration. I’ve always loved the practical side of planning and running events, but now I have the opportunity to step back and think more broadly about how we can keep improving, working together, and making our courses even more impactful.

What are you looking forward to most in the next year?

We’re working on some really exciting grant-funded projects over the next year and welcoming new team members to the team. We’ve just released our new on-demand training assistant, Ada, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops and supports learners. I’m also excited to continue exploring new ways to make our courses more interactive, accessible, and sustainable and to see our team grow and thrive as we take on these new challenges.

And finally, tell us something about you that people might not know?

During my childhood, my dad worked in Antarctica for six months of the year, project managing the construction of scientific research stations, the most well-known one being Halley VI. It meant I got to travel to some incredible places growing up and became a frequent visitor to the Falkland Islands, where I fell in love with the wildlife, from penguins to albatrosses.