How one keen Kiwi forged a rewarding career in Iowa’s bioscience industry
With roughly 8,000 miles separating Hamilton, New Zealand from Ankeny, Iowa, it’s fair to assume that living and working in those cities would feel pretty different. Sure, the climates are reversed and the wildlife is … well, very different, and, of course, there’s the accents. But according to Luke Bibby – a New Zealander who knows both locales well – Ankeny gave him a certain sense of “home.”
“I think the Midwest is very similar to New Zealand,” he said. “You get a lot of farmers, a lot of innovation like that, and I don’t feel like I’m the different one as much as everyone tells me my voice is funny.”
And one thing Iowa’s got plenty of, as Luke quickly found out? Opportunity.
The Voyage Begins
So how exactly did Luke wind up making the trek to the other side of the globe and land here in Iowa?
A mechanical engineer by trade, Luke’s former employer – a New Zealand-based food processing supplier – gave him his first taste of life in the Midwest when it assigned him to their Wisconsin outpost. It was there that Luke met the love of his life, Jackie – a native of Ankeny, Iowa.
In late 2013, Luke joined the New Zealand-based team of Proliant Health & Biologicals, an Ankeny-headquartered company that produces bovine serum albumin (a widely-used protein) for use in life science and biopharmaceutical applications around the world. With Proliant and Jackie sharing a hometown, the Bibby family suspected they could be destined for something special in the fast-growing Des Moines suburb.
That “something special” came in the form of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when Proliant asked Luke and his family to move to Ankeny where he would spearhead planning for a new protein processing plant in his home country. After weighing the opportunity against other offers that would bring the family stateside, Luke gladly accepted.
“I remember feeling like a weight was lifted off my shoulders after we agreed to stay with Proliant and we’d move to Ankeny,” Luke said. “We’d be close to Jackie’s parents, whereas in New Zealand, we were hours away from my family. I remember this feeling like this was the better option for us and that it just made sense.”
New Discoveries
Luke’s immersion into the state’s bioscience industry opened his eyes to a unique set of advantages that Iowa boasts over other bioscience hubs in the U.S. – chief among them, the collaboration, mentorship and access that serve as the foundation for a wide array of new discoveries and advancements.
“It amazed me that there were so many major industry players here that are family-owned – LGI and Kemin, to name a couple,” Luke said.
“These are large companies that offer incredible benefits from a capital and innovation point of view, but you’re not just a number. There’s so much approachability and collaboration here, unlike what you may find on the coasts.”
And even though Iowa’s bioscience industry has a smaller footprint than its coastal counterparts, Luke finds the wealth of opportunities in Iowa equal, if not more intriguing, for those seeking long-term professional growth in the field.
“If you drive through Johnston, you’ll see John Deere Financial, Pioneer, Corteva…it blew my mind,” Luke said. “You’d expect to see that caliber of company somewhere else, but it’s all right here in Iowa.”
Opportunity Now and for the Next Generation
Beyond his day-to-day work, Luke’s time on the Iowa Biotechnology Association’s board of directors also opened the door to several hands-on opportunities supporting the state’s efforts to maintain a strong bioscience talent pipeline. From judging high school science fairs to fine-tuning strategies that strengthened STEM education in Iowa’s colleges and universities, Luke loves the opportunity to build something meant to stand the test of time, in true mechanical engineer fashion.
“As a board, growing STEM in Iowa as a major focus, especially at [Des Moines Area Community College] where we had a lot of opportunity to get the industry in front of students who were still considering their career options. We’d get them into labs or face-to-face with people who had already established themselves in biotech to show them what’s possible. Long-term, our hope was that people would pursue PhDs and continue driving forward what others in the field had already started.”
Luke has since moved on from Proliant, having joined its parent company, LGI, as director of strategic initiatives. This upward mobility and growth potential makes Luke even more hopeful that even more people consider Iowa as a springboard to something even greater in their lives and careers.
“The businesses here are well-funded and well-supported, and the lifestyle here is pretty easy as well – no traffic, great schools, Midwest pace. It’s not flashy here, but it’s genuine. And even with my seniority, I can still seek mentorship from my peers, both in my industry and outside of it. I just think it’s a great place with a lot of great support.”
Make your next big discovery in Iowa. Explore Iowa’s bioscience industry and Connect with an Iowan to learn more about career opportunities available in the field.
