A Call to Lead @LifeScience ORG – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Why is leadership development a bit like working out?

How does a self-confessed introvert and data-driven scientist rewire themselves to make high-stakes decisions with incomplete information?

What does it really mean to lead a biotech as an outsider – an immigrant, a woman, an introvert - who never set out to be a CEO?

Today I’m joined by Ola Wlodek, CEO of Constructive Bio based in Cambridge UK.

Constructive Bio is a biotechnology company specializing the manufacturing and design of proteins and peptides with new chemistries for pharma and other industries.

We’ll talk more about the science at the end of the episode.

About LifeScience ORG

It’s no secret that Europe is a global leader in generating translational science. We’re grateful at LifeScience ORG to have a community of over 400 life science CEOs – leaders driving change in biotech, medtech, techBio and healthcare.

The conversations inside our community – stories of conviction, navigating challenges, and making bold decisions – inspire us every week. To hear the stories, lessons, and experiences of our life science leaders, listen to A Call to Lead @ LifeScience ORG, available on all good podcasting platforms.

Timestamps

4:12 From Medicine to Molecular Biology

6:13 The Path to a PhD and an Unconventional Career

6:57 Leading from the Lab: An Unexpected CEO

7:52 Building Leadership Muscles as an Introvert

10:57 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in the C-Suite

15:55 Navigating Cultural Identity and Bias in Biotech

19:33 Women in Science: Systemic Barriers and Advocacy

22:55 Intentionality as a Strategic Leadership Tool

26:44 The Science of Sustainable Peptide Manufacturing

33:29 CEO Loneliness and the Power of Peer Networks

Why is celebrating failure in life science just as important as celebrating success?

How do you make the psychological shift from being one expert among many in the room to being a leader of experts?

And what does a near-industry wide clinical failure have to do with a potential new treatment for half a billion osteoarthritis patients?

Today I’m joined by Eliot Forster, CEO of Levicept based just south of Oxford in the UK, looking into novel treatments for the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis.

About LifeScience ORG

It’s no secret that Europe is a global leader in generating translational science. We’re grateful at LifeScience ORG to have a community of over 400 life science CEOs – leaders driving change in biotech, medtech, techBio and healthcare.

The conversations inside our community – stories of conviction, navigating challenges, and making bold decisions – inspire us every week. To hear the stories, lessons, and experiences of our life science leaders, listen to A Call to Lead @ LifeScience ORG, available on all good podcasting platforms.

Timestamps

1:03 - From Big Pharma to Biotech: Why Cross the Table?

4:33 - The Moment You Decide to Lead

7:41 - The Personal Toll of the CEO Role

9:39 - Practical Habits That Protect Your Bandwidth

11:04 - Leading in a Crowded Capital Environment

13:02 - Transitioning from Expert to Leader of Experts

17:36 - Why Celebrating Failure Is Non-Negotiable in Drug Development

24:40 - The Maturing European Life Science Ecosystem

28:07 - A Novel Approach to Osteoarthritis: From Industry-Wide Failure to Phase 2 Success

35:13 - Optimism as a Professional Imperative in Life Science

How do you lead a company across continents and through uncertainty?

In this episode of A Call to Lead, David Kirk speaks with Samir Ounzain, CEO and scientific co-founder of Haya Therapeutics.

Samir shares how a lifelong curiosity about how cells “speak” to their environment led him from academia to building a company at the frontier of RNA-guided medicine.

He reflects on what it takes to lead through uncertainty, translate visionary science into tangible therapies, and build culture and alignment across continents. This conversation is a masterclass in marrying deep biology with purposeful leadership.

The birth of Alexandre Le Vert's daughter amidst a global 'flu scare put him on the path to leadership.

Now, he's the co-founder and executive Chair of Osivax, a clinical-stage biotech company focusing on vaccine research and development based in Lyon, France. 

In this episode of A Call To Lead, Alex shares his series of fortunate events that led him to co-found Osivax, challenges he faced getting to grips with the legal obligations of leadership, and the lessons he learned from great mentors along the way.

Lisa Deschamps comes from a commercial, non-scientific background and now leads London-based CNS gene therapy company AviadoBio, following a highly successful career at Novartis Gene Therapies.

In this episode of A Call To Lead, Lisa shares her story of how a chance conversation drove her from a career in fashion into therapeutics, taking her across Europe and the US, from commercialising big-name therapies to leading in life science as a CEO.

Some entrepreneurial lessons are learned early – like the power of not going it alone.

In A Call To Lead, Dominik Schumacher, CEO of Tubulis shares his thoughts on the leaders’ role in European life science and why trust and partnership sit at the heart of every breakthrough.

Research is limited by our own thinking – until now.

James Field, CEO and co-founder of LabGenius, reflects on becoming a first-time CEO, the challenges that came with founding a company and the contrast between traditional research and what's possible using modern tools and technology in this episode of A Call to Lead.

Ros Deegan, CEO of OMass Therapeutics, reflects on starting her biotech career in a downturn — and why that might have been the best teacher.

In A Call To Lead, she shares why optionality has become central to her leadership, how she navigates constantly shifting paths, and what it takes to stay resilient when everything can change overnight.

A Call To Lead @ LifeScience ORG is our brand new podcast, showcasing the leadership, vision, and impact of European life science CEOs.  

Each week, a European life science CEO and member of the LifeScience ORG community sits down for a candid one-on-one conversation about the experiences that shaped them, their defining moments, and what drives them to be a leader.

Season One features eight episodes, including Ros Deegan (OMass Therapeutics), James Field (LabGenius Therapeutics), and Dominik Schumacher (Tubulis GmbH).

How do you lead a company that’s one of the first of its kind?

What can a geocaching game on a company retreat teach you about leadership style?

Can AI tackle the big challenges in drug discovery today?

Today I’m joined by Szabolcs Nagy, CEO of Turbine, based in Budapest, Hungary. Founded 10 years ago, Turbine is virtualising biology from the cellular level upwards using AI.

About LifeScience ORG

It’s no secret that Europe is a global leader in generating translational science. We’re grateful at LifeScience ORG to have a community of over 400 life science CEOs – leaders driving change in biotech, medtech, techBio and healthcare.

The conversations inside our community – stories of conviction, navigating challenges, and making bold decisions – inspire us every week. To hear the stories, lessons, and experiences of our life science leaders, listen to A Call to Lead @ LifeScience ORG, available on all good podcasting platforms.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction & Background

1:19 - From Cybersecurity to Life Sciences

6:18 - Becoming CEO: Leadership Transition

10:14 - Early Challenges: Learning the Space

14:22 - Navigating Imposter Syndrome

19:03 - Leadership Lessons from Geocaching

22:44 - Building in Hungary: Ecosystem Challenges

26:05 - Virtualizing Biology: The Vision

32:01 - Industry Challenges: Data, AI & Business Models

37:48 - Leadership Reflection: Letting Go