Trent Hamilton spends his days building teams of people who drive the medical technology of the future. Whether he’s hiring someone to research treatments for cancer or put together the first FDA-approved treatment for COVID-19, Hamilton’s work brings together the people whose innovations save lives.
While Hamilton didn’t anticipate working in the biotechnology industry when he started the MBA program at the BYU Marriott School of Business in 2001, he did know he wanted to help unlock the power of people in business. After graduating from BYU in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies, he initially managed a staffing service. However, he felt like he was “hitting a ceiling” in his career. He knew that an MBA degree would enable him to find new career opportunities.
As Hamilton participated in the MBA program, he enjoyed completing projects on student teams. “My favorite thing about the MBA experience was the camaraderie. We were in cross-functional teams from day one. We went to every class together and did all our projects together,” he says.
That type of teamwork prepared him for similar cross-functional teams in the workplace. “In HR you're constantly working with people from other functions in the workplace, so I enjoyed seeing how everybody’s strengths complemented each other while I was on teams of MBA students,” he says.
While Hamilton was in the MBA program, recruiting season also became a team effort, and students helped their classmates find job opportunities. "The year that I graduated with my MBA was one of the toughest in terms of placement. I saw people bow out of opportunities and recommend a classmate to those companies,” he says. “Everyone had each other’s backs. For the most part, people were just as concerned about their classmates’ success as they were about their own success.”
During that MBA job search, Hamilton found a position as an HR generalist with Honeywell Aerospace, and he worked at Honeywell for two years. Since then, he has worked at several biotechnology companies. Currently, he works as an research and development talent acquisition lead at Gilead Sciences, which provides an interesting variety of responsibilities. “My team might be hiring a specific executive or we might be hiring a group of people to fill a new role. We might be building and staffing a new site,” he says.
Hamilton’s efforts to help his company reach its hiring goals involve recruiting the people who tackle some of today’s most pressing health challenges. “The biotechnology companies I've worked at have all tackled illnesses. These companies have worked on cancer therapies and treatments for rheumatoid arthritis,” he says. “The company that I’m working for now created the first FDA-approved drug therapy to combat COVID-19, remdesivir.
“My mother-in-law believes her life was saved a month ago because she received remdesivir during her hospital stay due to COVID-19,” he continues. “I love being part of a greater mission to change the practice of medicine.”
As Hamilton looks toward the future and works from his home in Highland, Utah, he wants to continue building teams to solve the challenges that the world faces today. “People are the engine of any given company,” he says. “I want to continue harnessing the capabilities of others and helping them reach their potential.”
Writer: Kenna Pierce
