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May / June 2013


Dr Bernie Monaghan (June 2, 1952 – April 6, 2013) Bernie Monaghan – A Life in Chromatography


Bernie Monaghan was born on June 2, 1952 and educated at Helsby Grammar School in Cheshire. Having left school after studying for A-Levels he became an undergraduate at Liverpool Polytechnic and continued his studies following his degree to complete a doctorate and become Dr Bernie Monaghan.


Bernie joined Shandon Ltd on March 1, 1981…………and so his long association with the Chromatography world began. Shandon’s main business was in Anatomical Pathology, but as part of a sponsored project with the University of Edinburgh in the mid-seventies, had established an HPLC section that had successfully launched a spherical silica Chromatography material, Hypersil ODS, in 1976. It was this business within Shandon that Bernie joined and he remained there until leaving the company 22 years later in May 2003.


Bernie was a qualified scientist from his education and contributed significantly to the product design and developments within the Shandon/Hypersil business, but it will be for his pervasive work across the industry to promote the Hypersil materials that he will be best remembered. Bernie was instrumental in developing the relationships with virtually all of the leading players in the HPLC industry, providing them with access to the Hypersil silica products to pack and sell as part of their HPLC column ranges. He spent extended periods in the mid- eighties working in the USA with the Keystone Scientific team (who later became part of the Hypersil business in 2000) training them to pack and test the Hypersil materials and to offer them as a leading column range for the North American market.


In 1989 Bernie was involved in the launch by the company of Hypersil BDS, a base deactivated silica that significantly simplified the analysis of basic compounds, and has since achieved global referencing within many HPLC methods and Pharmacopeia. It was also around this time that Bernie led the development of a global network of partners and dealer channels that extended the reach of the Hypersil brand and moved the company forward into a rapid growth period. Bernie undertook many exhausting trips to “spread the word” about the Hypersil product family, notably to India, carrying cases of overhead projector slides round the country in the days before the convenience of powerpoint & beamers.


In the mid-nineties, as the Hypersil business was acquired and integrated to Thermo Electron, Bernie was promoted to Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the business. In this position he built a sales organisation in North America and Europe that brought the management of the Hypersil products, from concept and design through to direct end-user support, completely within the business. It’s true testament to Bernie’s efforts that the Hypersil business has progressed from this embryonic stage to an integral part of the Thermo Scientific Chromatography business of today.


The further integration of the Hypersil and Keystone businesses within Thermo Electron led to a situation in 2003 where the VP of Sales and Marketing role was no longer required and on May 23 of that year Bernie left the company. It was a difficult adjustment for Bernie to make, having


spent 22 years at the heart of all the efforts to develop and promote the Hypersil product lines, work he was rightly very proud of. The tie to Chromatography was too strong, the knowledge that Bernie had accumulated over the years too great for him to consider anything else, and so he established Chromatography Consulting International. Since setting up the company, Bernie, supported by his wife Jude, continued to provide advice,


support and the benefit of his experience to people all over the world who wanted to separate something. He continued to be omni-present at the major industry events, working for the scientific journal community to provide press coverage on the advancements and new product stories of the day, as well as supporting the Chromatographic society in the UK and Chromatography Today. Bernie continued to cover the main industry events, even as his health issues started to become more prominent, with his last major participation being at the HPLC 2012 meeting in Anaheim.


Sadly the liver condition with which Bernie had been suffering became more serious in late 2012 and despite treatments in December to try and restore and maintain his liver and kidney function, and again in March this year, this was one challenge that Bernie, unfortunately couldn’t overcome. Bernie passed away peacefully on April 6, 2013.


Throughout all his time within the Chromatography world, in his many roles, whether with Hypersil, Thermo Electron or Chromatography Consulting International, several things stood out about Bernie. He was a clever man, he knew his science, but his greatest trait was that he knew people. Bernie always knew how to treat people. He travelled the world extensively and interacted with all cultures, as well as people from all levels of the business, whether they were colleagues, peers or competitors. The tributes that have been paid to Bernie in the past month endorse his position as a true friend to all those who came across him both professionally and personally. He was also a true family man, being together with Jude and their son Kevin for over 30 years, not forgetting Harvey the dog.


Bernie’s contribution to the Chromatography community has been a life- long commitment and it will continue to be remembered, and help future generations of chromatographer to make successful separations, long into the future. His presence around the exhibition floors of Pittcon, Analytica, etc……….will be sadly missed…………we have lost a great friend.


Kevin Doolan


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