Remembering Paul Bannister, dear friend and finance manager

On Sunday 28th July, pharmaphorum lost a much-beloved member of the family.  

If you don’t work for or with pharmaphorum or Healthware Group, you probably don’t know the name Paul Bannister. Paul wasn’t a writer or a designer or a photographer. He never had a byline on the website. He didn’t interface with sponsors or advertisers. But as our longtime Finance Director, he was a part of the fabric of the company almost from the beginning and an integral part of keeping the publication running. And, most importantly, he was the soul of the place and a friend to all. 

Paul joined pharmaphorum in 2012 when his business partner Dr Mo Sacoor joined founder Paul Tunnah as a lead investor. Although his title and exact responsibilities changed over the years as pharmaphorum became part of Healthware Group and then EVERSANA, he continued to manage the books for the publication, along with dozens of other small but important tasks, right up until his life was tragically cut short last month. The current iteration of the pharmaphorum publication team met this past May for an intense three days of strategic planning (Paul is third from right in the image above). Though we didn’t know it at the time, for many of us it was the last time we would see Paul, and we all feel lucky to have gotten to share one more laugh - and one more pint of Guinness - with him. 

As the editorial staff of pharmaphorum, we felt the least we could do for Paul’s memory was to make this behind-the-scenes stalwart a little more visible. We hope you will take a moment to read these remembrances from the team and reflect on the Paul Bannisters in your own lives and organisations, and not take them for granted. 

Our hearts go out to Paul’s family and all who knew him. Donations in his memory can be made to the British Heart Foundation.

“Paul Bannister came into the pharmaphorum business at a critical time as it started to scale on both the publishing and agency side. It wasn’t a moment too soon, as his sound business head helped us ensure we kept control of the cashflow, even in the most challenging moments. But much more than that, Paul proved to be an invaluable source of advice, based on years of experience working across many diverse businesses.

When things got tough, he always had some sound advice and some reassuring comments, for which I will be forever grateful. In doing so, Paul also quickly became a good friend to myself and everyone else working in the business. He had a wicked sense of humour, which would often be revealed in a well-timed comment, but sometimes just in a cheeky look, which revealed exactly what he felt about the situation! He cared very much for the business and everyone in it, a quality which then transferred to the much larger Healthware business that pharmaphorum became part of, where he quickly made many new friends.

It’s hard to sum up the impact someone makes in just a few short sentences, but the best thing I can say is ‘thank you Paul’, as he made such a massive difference to my journey as an entrepreneur – and to those who shared it with me. Paul was kind, caring, wise, pragmatic, and funny. He was great to spend time with and he will be very much missed.”

–  Paul Tunnah, Founder and former Editor in Chief

“I will never forget how kind, helpful, and patient Paul Bannister was with me when I was asked to take over the reins in running pharmaphorum. He has always been a helpful, hardworking, curious soul and I enjoyed every interaction I had with him. I will cherish the memories of our last dinner together a few months ago and will miss not seeing him the next time I’m in London. Gone, but not forgotten. Rest in peace, Paul…until we meet again.”

– Kristin Milburn, SVP, Marketing Ecosystem and Strategy, EVERSANA

"It's with a heavy heart and sense of tremendous gratitude that I’d like to pay tribute to Paul Bannister.

Paul was instrumental to our business over the years, guiding us with unconditional loyalty and sound judgement. He helped us through dark times, as well as joyous ones, applying a positive spin to all situations and always believed in us. He was more importantly a dear friend, and someone you could trust wholeheartedly, that always had your back. He was honest, positive, loyal, and more importantly a kind being and gentle soul.

I remember him fondly joining us for drinks at the pub, where he would tell us about his adventures in the United States; his sense of humour was second to none. He also shared a love for English football, rugby, and sport in general. He loyally followed West Ham United and England, and never missed an opportunity to watch a game at the pub. He was remarkably gifted at mini-golf, darts, bowling, and other company party themed activities we planned over the years, winning EVERY competition!

I hope he’s at peace taking care of others, the way he did for all that knew him and had the privilege of being in his company. Paul was truly one of a kind and irreplaceable. My condolences go out to his family and loved ones. I’m sure we will meet again my friend. Until then, ‘Cheers’."

-    Francis Namouk, SVP Global Strategic Development, EVERSANA INTOUCH

“Paul was not only a gentleman, but a gentle man. His humour, kindness, patience, and willingness to help his colleagues was unbounded. He was a rare and wonderful human being. The world would be a far better place with more people like Paul in it. He was good friend, and I will miss him enormously.”

–  Matt Brookes, Sales Manager

“Paul was kind, clever, funny, caring. A true gentleman in every sense of the word. He worked quietly in the background, navigating pharmaphorum through calm and sometimes choppy seas. I will never forget his infinite patience as he would correct a formula that I'd accidentally deleted yet again on one of his many spreadsheets. I will miss him every day as my colleague, but also more importantly as a dear friend. Paul, you made me laugh at times until my face hurt. I hope you've found the beer tent up there.”

– Lynette Arnell, Operations Manager

"What can I say that hasn’t been said already about Paul B.? A man for all seasons and a genuine friend from my early days at pharmaphorum, all the way up to us all being part of a much larger organisation in EVERSANA, Paul was always the first person I would ask any (and all) of my work-related questions about contracts, finance, HR, holiday, etc., because he would either know the answer or find it out - and always in a way that was personal to me and not just a stock answer. I genuinely don’t know what I will do without him in that respect. 

He was also always the first person I would contact for any social meet-ups for work. He and I spent many hours together in Italy, walking around Salerno and Rome having a beer (or two) and a chat. Nothing would make me feel more at ease than hearing him boom ‘Mr Smith’ at me as I arrived at an unfamiliar venue (or even just the office) and I know that is what I will miss the most. I’m not sure I’ve quite processed that he won’t be there at the next event. I hope he knew how much we all thought of him and how much he will be missed. Rest in peace, my friend. The next pint of Peroni is on me."

– Mike Smith, Senior Designer, EVERSANA INTOUCH

"When I started working closely with the pharmaphorum team, it was inevitable to have conversations via e-mail or Teams with Paul Bannister. Over time, I learned that he was not only the finance guy, but also a sincere and kind giant. Always smiling and caring, he always responded to a chat, even when he was busy. He never ignored a colleague. A gentleman.

I am truly touched by his passing. I will always remember him when I am cleaning a contact database or drinking a (diet) coke.

Rest in peace, Mr Bannister."

-  Sara Scarpinati, Marketing Ecosystem Manager, EVERSANA

“As the United States-based editor of London-based pharmaphorum, I travel to London a couple of times a year for meetings and team building. On these visits I would always issue an open invitation to the office to meet me for a pint after work. Sometimes I’d have a lot of takers, sometimes I’d have a few, but I would always have at least one: Paul B. More than once, Paul and I stayed at the West Byfleet station pub until the last train; one memorable time, we jumped into a game of pub trivia and managed third place.

Paul welcomed me into the business in the most British way imaginable, explaining the ins and the outs of internal politics and the history of the publication over a pint of Guinness, or telling me stories about his time in New York or something he had learned studying for a purely extra-curricular degree in astrophysics. I’ll always treasure those times together and I wish we’d had more. Paul was a true original. He was physically quite big, but his heart was 10 times bigger, and our whole company is poorer for his loss.”

– Jonah Comstock, Editor in Chief

“A gentle giant with a cracking sense of humour, Paul was a quintessential Brit with a passion for all things numbers and science – making him the perfect man for the job at the beating heart centre of pharmaphorum, from its early days to embracing with vigour his position in the newly expanded EVERSANA family. He will be deeply missed for his wise imparts, both business- and life-related, and for his side-splitting tales of adventure at home and abroad. I hope his soul is travelling the interstellar miles unrestrictedly, and laughing all the way. Rest well, dear colleague.”

– Nicole Raleigh, Web Editor

“Paul was one of the first people I had the pleasure of meeting when I joined pharmaphorum. He was a warm, generous, wonderful soul who was always there to lend a hand (or an ear) if necessary. A sharp wit, if ever there was one, with an appetite for life and food, the likes of which I did not know was possible for one man to possess. In fact, I once witnessed him eat multiple three-course dinners at our Christmas party because three of our colleagues pulled out at the last minute, and he couldn’t stand the idea of the food going to waste. He also had a supernatural ability to hunt down sweets no matter the time or place.

But while his skills as a one-man eating machine were undoubtedly impressive, it was his kindness that set him apart. Earlier this year, he went out of his way to help me buy my first home, patiently explaining mortgage interest rates (several times, I might add) and ensuring that I knew exactly what questions to ask to secure a good deal. His advice was invaluable, and I couldn’t have done it without him.

As a writer, you’d think that penning a short paragraph to describe such a magnificent person would come naturally, but all the words in the world fall short of conveying how much he meant to me – to all of us. I will miss him dearly.”

– Eloise McLennan, Deep Dive Editor

"It feels surreal to be writing this now, especially when it was just a few weeks ago that we were sharing a few beers together. You were one of the first people I met when I joined Healthware a few years ago, and from that moment, you quickly became more than just a colleague, a trusted partner, and an essential part of our team. What I'll always carry with me is your gentle and positive spirit, your boundless intellectual curiosity, your fun-loving nature, and that ever-wandering, adventurous mind of yours. May you rest in peace, Paul. 

I like to think of this as just another one of the astrophysical journeys you were so passionate about. I’m certain that even out there the universe has a special place for a gentleman like you. Keep watching over your friends, your family, and, of course, your beloved West Ham. Until we meet again, we’ll miss you Paul."

– Giovanni Loria, former CFO, Healthware Group