The Halma Catalyst experience: Abdelrahman Eltanbdawy reflects on his rotation with Keeler
The Halma Catalyst programme offers graduates a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience across Halma’s global group of companies. During his nine-month rotation with Keeler in Windsor, UK, Rafe Dickie contributed to key projects, collaborated closely with teams, and developed valuable insights into the medtech industry.
In this interview, Abdel reflects on his time at Keeler, the lessons he’s learned, and what being a Catalyst has meant for his career journey, as he goes into his second rotation as part of the program.
1. What is something you know now about the world of Keeler that would have blown your mind on your very first day?
Honestly, it’s seeing how these products literally change lives! You can really see it in how recognised and trusted Keeler’s quality is. The amount of care and behind the scenes research that goes into making tools for treating common eye conditions is amazing. But what fascinated me most is that these tools are truly designed by the ophthalmic practitioners themselves and built by Keeler, ensuring they perfectly match what doctors need in their day to day work.
2. Keeler’s overarching goal is pretty massive: stopping preventable blindness. How did having that as the ultimate finish line change how you tackled your everyday tasks?
My project was deeply tied to that goal. I managed MacuMira, which delivers microcurrent stimulation to treat patients with Dry-AMD: the leading cause of central vision blindness. Knowing that every minute I spent working and talking to doctors was building toward Keeler’s mission to change millions of lives gave me so much motivation. We were providing a treatment where options are extremely limited, all to help people literally see the world around them. I couldn’t have asked for a better, more inspiring purpose to wake up to every day.
3. Who made the biggest impression on you during your time there?
Without a doubt, it’s Pindy (Head of Business Transformation). I think of him as the master of calm in the storm—and the snack club chairman, of course! Whenever I needed direction or to bounce ideas around, he was right there. The best part about his mentorship is that he’s always several steps ahead, but he never just hands you the answer. He calmly guides you with prompts so you figure it out yourself, which completely built my independence. He inspired me so much during my time at Keeler, not just by helping with my project, but by giving me brilliant career advice and giving me the confidence to actually stand up and present my strategies to the leadership team.
4. What’s the day-to-day vibe really like behind the scenes at Keeler?
The culture is honestly incredible. Everyone is just super friendly and warm. It really encourages close collaboration and genuine friendships in the office. You can easily strike up a conversation with anyone across the company; the people are absolutely wonderful and were definitely the best part of my rotation. And I have to mention the snack clubs! The vibes were always so good. Everyone would bring in their favourites, from Savory and sweet to international treats and we’d just spend time chatting and voting on the best one. It’s just a little snippet of my daily life there, but you really have to be part of it to fully experience it. I will definitely miss and cherish these memories!
5. What was the biggest challenge you faced that you completely underestimated, and how did you end up hacking your way through it?
Stepping into interviews with world-renowned Ophthalmologists was terrifying at first— At the start, I had imposter syndrome trying to lead discussions with people who literally paved the way in their field. My workaround? Intense preparation. I read their research, mapped out their career highlights, and meticulously drafted custom questions. That prep gave me the confidence to step back, really listen, and let the dialogue take a natural path rather than feeling like an interrogation. It paid off big time: I ended up interviewing dozens of specialists, gathering game-changing market insights, and locking in European product pilots ahead of launch day. Looking back, it turned into an incredible experience. Instead of feeling intimidated, I now actually get a kick out of speaking with industry giants and absorbing their perspectives. Plus, hearing straight from the experts gave Keeler the exact clarity we needed to refine our strategy and sharpen our focus.
6. What was your non-negotiable daily habit that sparked your best ideas?
My absolute non-negotiable was acting as the relentless “user evangelist” in every single meeting, conversation, and decision. I made it a point to step directly into the user’s shoes. That meant going way beyond expert opinions—I jumped onto forums, read about patients’ daily struggles, and interviewed them directly to understand what a real solution would mean for their lives. Keeping the user front and centre was my secret weapon for sparking great ideas because you simply can’t go wrong when you’re solving real human problems. Honestly, that mindset is at the heart of everything we do at Keeler: building better products and experiences for the people on the receiving end.