Skip to content
Campaigners

Health matters: how to take control – Brigette Bard, Founder & CEO, BioSure UK

About This Episode

Joining Michael today is Brigette Bard, the founder and CEO of BioSure UK, helping the country return to normality with its rapid COVID-19 testing. When the world was disrupted by the pandemic, BioSure moved quickly – having already pioneered self-testing technology with the first easy-to-use HIV home testing kit. With a mission to give people confidence and control over their own health, BioSure is paving the way for ground-breaking innovation in the medical space.

Brigette Bard, Founder & CEO, BioSure UK

Founder and CEO of BioSure UK, Brigette Bard has carved a successful, entrepreneurial career in the FMCG sector. Based on her experience with pregnancy testing, she is passionate about the role self-testing has to play in allowing people to make informed choices and assume responsibility for their own healthcare. She is actively and dynamically involved in normalising the conversation around HIV, HIV tests, breaking down stigma and nurturing understanding around confident sex and sexual health. BioSure develops, manufactures, sources and distributes rapid tests with the highest levels of accuracy, many rivalling those of standard laboratory tests. Its rapid diagnostic and detection tests are invaluable tools where immediate results are the primary consideration. The tests that it manufactures and supplies are used worldwide for the management of human infectious disease.

Listen on all your favourite platforms

Lockdown List

What is a book that has changed your life?

My favourite series of books are the Philip Pullman His Dark Materials trilogy as I adore the main character of Lyra and her extraordinary bravery, but I think the book that has possibly had the most impact on my life is Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan, that I first read many years ago and it just helps me keep life in perspective – it’s all about the journey. Hans Rosling’s book Factfulness is also something that has had significant impact on how I think, especially being so immersed in the HIV epidemic and working in a wide range of low and middle income countries. It shines such a lens on how and why we think of the world and how we can be far more optimistic than the newspaper headlines would ever suggest. It’s a fantastic book.

What are you watching at the moment?

The Crown – third series. I am not a great television watcher, but I have really enjoyed this series. I absolutely adore Princess Margaret in the first two series.

Who is your biggest inspiration and why?

In all honesty its probably my grandmother, who played an enormous role in my childhood life. She taught me how it felt to be loved unconditionally and how to return that love. She also taught me that the only person you ever have to sleep with your entire life is yourself, so make sure you like who you are and can always sleep comfortably with yourself.

In one sentence, describe your ‘new normal’.

I think my life has been even more hectic in lockdown! With the exception of not travelling any more, life at BioSure has continued to race ahead.

 

What is your best tip for life?

Remember to breathe!

A quote for life

A very wise friend said to me: “It will be alright ion the end and if it’s not alright, it’s not the end.”

 

What is your lockdown soundtrack?

Pete Tong and the Heritage Orchestra is my go to playlist, but one of my all time favourites is Lou Reed Perfect Day  

Find out more

Subscribe to Change Makers Podcast