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Irving McConnell talks about his multifaceted career as a veterinarian, an officer in the US Army and the president of a health sciences company.

Tell us about the career path you've taken.

In veterinary school, I was awarded the US Army Health Professions Scholarship, and to receive that scholarship, I had to serve in the military after graduation. I had three tours in the military during active duty, all in military research labs in the US.

After completing active duty, I went into the pharmaceutical industry. My first job was at Schering Plough, where I worked as an ophthalmologist, a lab animal veterinarian and a toxicologist. Wearing those 'three hats' was hard work, but it provided many experiences that helped me later on. I went on to work at SmithKline and later at Johnson & Johnson (J&J), where I managed many different types of research programs. I eventually became the director of lab animal medicine and toxicology at a J&J company.

I had a great mentor at J&J named Nancy Corkum. She thought I had the ability to run my own business and asked why I didn't start one. I was very surprised; I hadn't even thought about the possibility. Eventually, I decided to try it and put a business plan together. The Small Business Administration told me that it was one of the best they had ever seen.

That was the beginning of The McConnell Group, a business that provides services and products that support research and development in pharmaceutical companies, universities and the federal government. We are now the largest company providing biomedical contract staffing to the Department of Defense.

Did you have any memorable experiences during your military service?

When I entered the corporate world, I continued to serve in the military as a reservist. I decided that I needed more spice in my life, so I joined a US Army Special Operations Unit that would allow me to see the world.

I traveled to the Azores in Portugal and served as the lead veterinarian on humanitarian missions to the Caribbean. In 1994, I went to Haiti to help the Ministry of Agriculture restore its veterinary program. I was very touched working there, and I continue to work with the Haitian Ministry today.

My last assignment with the Special Operations Unit was to go to Iraq in 2003 to feed and care for the animals in the Baghdad Zoo, which had been damaged during the war. We first went to Kuwait, spoke with the Ministry of Agriculture and convinced them to provide us with food for the animals and a tractor-trailer. We also went to a zoo in Kuwait and asked for a short course in taking care of zoo animals; we learned what to feed them and how to prepare the different diets.

I led a small team from Kuwait into Baghdad with two Humvees and a few guns and grenades. A vet tech on my team who worked at Merck was responsible for overseeing the nutritional program for the animals. It was quite an experience for her to change hats from working at Merck to becoming an expert on zoo animals. The mission was very successful; it's an experience I'll have for life. I was given the Bronze Star for that mission, and it looks like the zoo is doing very well today.

How have your experiences influenced your approach to your work?

It's so important to have a great mentor who can give you a 'sanity check' occasionally. I still have great mentors who continue to help me now.

Today, my company is mentoring two businesses and helping them to grow, and we've been reaching out to people to try to convince them to start businesses. It surprises me that even if you're willing to help people develop a business, some just don't want that responsibility. It's not for everybody, even though I think it should be.

In business you have to continually work hard, look for opportunities and keep your eyes open all the time, because your competitors will try to take away your business. I feel that my strong military background has taught me to do business and to watch my back at the same time.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in the field?

There are not many people who understand science and business, and that creates opportunities. I would advise anybody who enjoys business and has a science background to take advantage.

Most people will tell you that in business, you have to have strong relationships. At first I thought it was enough just to work hard, but now I understand that that has to go hand in hand with strong relationships.