There is a strong sense of ownership
Mary
Executive Director Business Development
After years of working at large pharmaceutical companies, Mary Wu joined Merus in 2021. ‘There is a strong sense of ownership at Merus. The sentiment isn’t: “I just work here.” Instead, people feel like: “It’s my company, it’s our company.” I believe this helps people take initiative and it motivates them to stay around.’
Longevity
‘We see quite a bit of longevity at Merus. I think it’s because we have an exciting pipeline, and we want to take our programs to their next milestones. That takes time in our field. In two years, you might not see a lot. In five years, you might start seeing the fruit of your labor. We want to see our work become successful. And we enjoy our co-workers. That’s also a huge part of it. We attract a diversity of styles, backgrounds, and experience levels.’
‘I report to the Chief Business Officer, a former colleague of mine. He was another reason why I joined Merus. It’s nice to work with dedicated people. Many of them have experience in large pharmaceutical companies and bring that knowledge to our programs and projects.’
Team sport
‘Sometimes you get to wear multiple hats here. In large companies, it is like a relay race. You stay in your lane; you do your part, and you pass the baton to the next person. At Merus, it’s more like playing soccer. You do have your role, but you pass the ball around, you cover for others, you get work done together. You’re more of a team.’
And everyone can make a difference, Mary concludes. ‘There is a strong sense of ownership at Merus. The sentiment isn’t: “I just work here.” Instead, people feel like: “It’s my company, it’s our company.” I believe this helps people take initiative and it motivates them to stay around. It’s a great place to work and gain experience.’
Mission and culture
‘I wanted to go back to a smaller and more focused workplace to contribute to projects that matter, with people who are dedicated to the mission,’ Mary says. ‘We may have different priorities, but at the end of the day, we are all focused on our core mission of closing in on cancer. I enjoy that. It gives me the motivation to show up and get work done.’
‘Also, I was looking for a place where people have a sense of joy in the work they do. You spend so much time at work and you want to bring your best, so a positive work culture is important. Merus pays a lot of attention to that. People are committed to having as enjoyable, as collegial, and as supportive a working environment as possible.’
Moving forward
After starting out as a Senior Director, Mary was promoted to her current role in July 2023. ‘We have some exciting clinical programs and innovative platform technologies. Part of my role in Business Development is to find collaborations that can contribute to our development and help us take the company forward. They may have expertise and capabilities that we, as a small company, are still building, or synergies that enhance overall value for both companies.’
“Step by step, we are closing in on cancer.”
Interested in joining us on our mission?
Have a look at our vacancies.
After years of working at large pharmaceutical companies, Mary Wu joined Merus in 2021. ‘There is a strong sense of ownership at Merus. The sentiment isn’t: “I just work here.” Instead, people feel like: “It’s my company, it’s our company.” I believe this helps people take initiative and it motivates them to stay around.’
Mission and culture
‘I wanted to go back to a smaller and more focused workplace to contribute to projects that matter, with people who are dedicated to the mission,’ Mary says. ‘We may have different priorities, but at the end of the day, we are all focused on our core mission of closing in on cancer. I enjoy that. It gives me the motivation to show up and get work done.’
‘Also, I was looking for a place where people have a sense of joy in the work they do. You spend so much time at work and you want to bring your best, so a positive work culture is important. Merus pays a lot of attention to that. People are committed to having as enjoyable, as collegial, and as supportive a working environment as possible.’
Moving forward
After starting out as a Senior Director, Mary was promoted to her current role in July 2023. ‘We have some exciting clinical programs and innovative platform technologies. Part of my role in Business Development is to find collaborations that can contribute to our development and help us take the company forward. They may have expertise and capabilities that we, as a small company, are still building, or synergies that enhance overall value for both companies.’
“Step by step, we are closing in on cancer.”
Interested in joining us on our mission?
Have a look at our vacancies.
Longevity
‘We see quite a bit of longevity at Merus. I think it’s because we have an exciting pipeline, and we want to take our programs to their next milestones. That takes time in our field. In two years, you might not see a lot. In five years, you might start seeing the fruit of your labor. We want to see our work become successful. And we enjoy our co-workers. That’s also a huge part of it. We attract a diversity of styles, backgrounds, and experience levels.’
‘I report to the Chief Business Officer, a former colleague of mine. He was another reason why I joined Merus. It’s nice to work with dedicated people. Many of them have experience in large pharmaceutical companies and bring that knowledge to our programs and projects.’
Team sport
‘Sometimes you get to wear multiple hats here. In large companies, it is like a relay race. You stay in your lane; you do your part, and you pass the baton to the next person. At Merus, it’s more like playing soccer. You do have your role, but you pass the ball around, you cover for others, you get work done together. You’re more of a team.’
And everyone can make a difference, Mary concludes. ‘There is a strong sense of ownership at Merus. The sentiment isn’t: “I just work here.” Instead, people feel like: “It’s my company, it’s our company.” I believe this helps people take initiative and it motivates them to stay around. It’s a great place to work and gain experience.’