Tom Shortt of BMS discusses the early aspects that influenced his career and led to his role as director of engineering.
Director of engineering at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), Tom Shortt has been with the organization for over nine years, but his passion for engineering began much earlier.
Shortt told SiliconRepublic.com, “When I was in high school in Tipperary, I worked part-time as a farm machinery mechanic, traveling across the county to troubleshoot, rebuild engines and get farm equipment back into working order.”
He explained that the experience instilled in him a curiosity for technology and an appreciation for solving practical problems in real-world situations, making a future in mechanical engineering a clear choice.
He continued, “That role taught me as much about people as it taught me about engineering, our clients range from large agricultural contractors to elderly farmers working alone.
“Understanding their challenges, listening carefully and gaining their trust was as important as fixing the machines.”
Can you tell us more about your role today and what it involves?
I lead a multidisciplinary engineering organization that supports the compliant and sustainable delivery of medicines to patients worldwide. My leadership style is based on technical knowledge, operational discipline and a strong belief in the value of empowered teams. At the BMS Cruiserath campus in Dublin, I lead an engineering practice with a broad and critical remit. The team is responsible for building management, facility operations, laboratory production and maintenance, major project delivery, site planning and validation activities.
In addition, the Cruiserath Campus engineering organization provides facilities management oversight for two other BMS sites in Ireland.
To ensure consistency and visibility throughout this complexity, the engineering organization operates within a strong governance framework. Tiered management processes and service provider management platforms provide structured oversight, clear escalation paths and data-driven performance management.
Tools like A3 Troubleshooting enable root cause analysis and effective troubleshooting.
Although the engineering team does not directly manufacture BMS products, its impact on patient outcomes is significant. Engineering provides stable, high-quality inputs that enable the value stream to operate in a predictable and compliant manner, from reliable utilities and ultra-pure water systems to safe engineering controls and reliable manufacturing and laboratory equipment.
When engineering systems perform as designed, the value chain has a much higher probability of producing consistent results that end up becoming medicines for patients. Every day, I feel grateful to have such a strong engineering team, where many schedule, resource or technical decisions are solved close to the work by empowered teams. Escalations that come to engineering leadership for guidance are usually resolved quickly and with input from relevant subject matter experts.
As a member of the Cruiserath Campus (SLT) senior leadership team, I also play an active role beyond engineering. The SLT holds shared accountability for site operations and patient delivery, which requires close integration across operations, quality, supply chain, finance and human resources. Stepping into the SLT role has broadened my perspective significantly. It emphasized the importance of business thinking and management in ensuring that the site delivers safely, compliantly and sustainably.
Do you have a typical day and, if so, what does it look like?
I guess it’s cliché, but no two days are the same. The BMS engineering team is responsible for the delivery of many services, from facility management to facility operations, production and lab maintenance, major project management, master site planning, and validation.
With such a wide scope, various problems may arise, from the breakdown of production to the development of effective reliability strategies or the holding of regulatory auditors.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Among the many proud moments at BMS, one stands out for me – the closure of drug production by 2025. The program includes critical first-time maintenance, large-scale project execution and rapid return on product. It was a huge technical and organizational challenge. Seeing it successfully delivered reinforced the impact that a well-coordinated, disciplined engineering effort can have across a site.
Another aspect of the role that brings me satisfaction is working to meet the challenge of decarbonisation. In collaboration with business partners, the Cruiserath Campus has developed a comprehensive carbon reduction roadmap, targeting around a 45pc reduction by 2033.
The campus has already achieved zero waste disposal and scope-2 emissions by purchasing renewable electricity. Current engineering efforts are therefore focused on scope-1 production, including decarbonizing space heating and hot water systems and eliminating wasteful steam use. Looking ahead, the high temperature demand for clean steam and water for injection production presents a complex challenge. However, emerging technologies offer promising solutions.
I also find great fulfillment in supporting the evolution of Cruiserath Campus. The site continues to evolve from its origins as an API facility to a drug biologics facility and is now a complete end-to-end biologics campus, including sterile drug filling and stability testing capabilities. This evolution positions the site to play an important role in introducing new medicines for patients with unmet medical needs.
I am very excited about the power of digital tools to accelerate data analysis, improve decision making and eliminate waste from engineering and operational processes. It feels like we’re only scratching the surface of what these tools will enable in the coming years. The opportunity to combine solid engineering fundamentals with advanced data and analytics is incredibly exciting.
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