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, Abdelrahman Eltanbdawy 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.
What is the most surprising thing you learnt about Keeler?
Learning about how these products literally change lives! I was already aware of Keeler’s reputation for quality, but I hadn’t fully appreciated the level of care, expertise and research that goes into developing tools to help clinicians treat and manage eye conditions.
I was fascinated by how Keeler turns clinicians’ real-world needs into patient-focused technology. This connection between practitioners, technology and patients was incredibly inspiring.
What did you spend your 9 month rotation working on at Keeler?
I stepped into the role of product manager for MacuMira. It is an innovative device that uses microcurrent stimulation to help manage Dry AMD and actively improve visual function for patients.
Keeler’s mission is to help bring an end to preventable vision loss. How did this influence you?
My project closely aligned with that mission. I managed MacuMira, a microcurrent treatment for patients with Dry-AMD.
Knowing that every minute I spent working and talking to doctors was building toward a mission to change millions of lives gave me so much motivation.
I could not have asked for a better, more inspiring purpose to wake up to every single day.
How would you describe the working environment at Keeler?
The culture is genuinely one of the highlights of working at Keeler. Everyone is so friendly and warm, which really encourages close collaboration and genuine friendships in the office. You can easily strike up a conversation with anyone across the company. I also had amazing support from the leadership team, especially from Pindy, the Head of Business Transformation, who was a brilliant mentor. He helped guide my ideas and gave me the confidence to stand up and present my strategies to the leadership team.
There’s also a really strong sense of friendship and fun in the office, including the snack club! Everyone would bring in their favourites, from savoury bites to international treats, and we would spend time chatting and voting on the best one. It might sound like a small part of everyday life, but those moments really capture the atmosphere at Keeler. The people were undoubtedly one of the best parts of my rotation. I’ll miss those moments and the memories I made there.
What part of your time here do you feel most proud of?
The time I spent speaking directly with ophthalmologists. Taking their frontline clinical insights and translating them into clear, actionable steps for Keeler was incredibly rewarding. It felt amazing to know my work was directly contributing to ensuring we remain a true leader in the ophthalmic industry.
What was the biggest challenge you faced, and how did you overcome it?
Stepping into interviews with world-renowned ophthalmologists was terrifying at first. I definitely experienced imposter syndrome trying to lead discussions with people who had literally paved the way in their field. My workaround was intense preparation. I read their research, mapped out their career highlights, and meticulously drafted custom questions.
That preparation gave me the confidence to step back, really listen, and let the dialogue take a natural path rather than feel like an interrogation. It paid off. I ended up interviewing dozens of specialists, gathering game-changing market insights, and securing European product pilots ahead of launch.
What's your favourite Keeler instrument?
Oh, it absolutely has to be the Keeler cryo console! It is such a brilliant and fascinating piece of equipment, used during eye surgery.
Did you have any daily habits that supported you performing at your best?
My absolute core daily habit was being a strong advocate for the user in every meeting, conversation and decision. I made a conscious effort to put myself in the user’s shoes and understand the challenges they were facing.
That meant going beyond expert opinions. I spent time exploring online forums, learning about patients’ day-to-day experiences and speaking directly with people to understand what a genuinely meaningful solution would look like from their perspective.
Keeping the user at the centre of my thinking became one of my most valuable habits. It helped me approach problems from a much more human perspective and consistently ask whether we were solving the problem that really mattered.
Ultimately, I think that mindset is at the heart of what Keeler does: using insight, innovation and collaboration to develop better products and experiences that make a meaningful difference to clinicians and, ultimately, their patients.