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Hosted by Thomas McMann, Making It In Manufacturing is ARTO's new in-person podcast series, spotlighting the leaders shaping the future of manufacturing, engineering and CDMOs in Life Sciences.
Each episode dives into the careers, decisions, and defining moments of industry mainstays - revealing the stories and insights behind real-world impact within the life science manufacturing and CDMO space.
If you're a leader in the space - or aspiring to be - this podcast is a must watch. The series is available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major platforms.
From Lab Scientist to Pharma Leader: 40 Years of Scaling and Strategy Insight - Alison Clayton
Episode 26
Thursday, April 23, 2026 • Duration 16:06
From hands-on pharmacology research to leading strategic projects in advanced manufacturing, this episode explores what it really takes to evolve, adapt, and lead across decades of change in life sciences.
This week on Making It In Manufacturing, Harry Sloan sat down with Alison Clayton, Strategic Projects Director at Symbiosis, with over 40 years of experience spanning pharmacology research, pre-clinical and clinical development, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
In this episode, Alison Clayton covers:
(00:00) Transitioning from academia into industry and navigating major company acquisitions early in a career
(01:40) Moving beyond the lab into strategic, customer-facing roles and discovering a passion for leadership
(03:35) Adapting to constant organisational change while maintaining a patient-first mindset
(07:26) The risks of scaling too quickly in CDMOs and the importance of realistic capacity and strong partnerships
(10:02) Maintaining quality and regulatory standards while growing in a highly competitive pharmaceutical landscape
This conversation offers a grounded perspective on long-term career development, leadership in complex environments, and the evolving demands of pharmaceutical manufacturing. If you are building a career in life sciences or scaling within a CDMO environment, this episode provides practical insights worth applying.
This CDMO Has an Advantage No One Else Can Replicate - Quotient Sciences
Episode 25
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 • Duration 30:02
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The CDMO model is evolving fast, but what actually separates the leaders from the rest in today’s market?
This week on Making It In Manufacturing, Harry Sloan sat down with Thierry Van Nieuwenhove, CEO of Quotient Sciences, with 25+ years of experience spanning business development, engineering, global manufacturing leadership, and executive roles.
In this episode, Thierry covers:
• The evolution of the CDMO landscape over 25 years, from API-focused events to a global, multi-disciplinary pharma ecosystem
• How Quotient Sciences built a unique translational pharmaceutics platform to combine clinical studies with drug manufacturing, accelerating development timelines by up to 12 months
• A career journey from chemical engineering into global business development and leadership, including building manufacturing capabilities in India and working across Europe and the US
• Why speed, efficiency, and proof of concept are critical in today’s funding-constrained biotech environment
• The growing impact of AI, global innovation shifts including China, and how CDMOs must adapt to remain competitive and support emerging biotech pipelines
If you are looking to understand where the CDMO space is heading, and what it takes to lead in a rapidly evolving pharmaceutical market, this episode offers a clear and practical perspective. Be sure to watch the full conversation.
The Hidden Challenges of Biologics Development - Dr. Adriana Kiędzierska-Mencfeld
Episode 24
Tuesday, April 21, 2026 • Duration 27:04
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What does it really take to move from science into CEO leadership while delivering real impact for patients?
This week on Making It In Manufacturing, Harry Sloan sat down with Dr Adriana Kiedzierska-Mencfeld, CEO of Rezon Bio, with 20 years of experience spanning biotech, biologics manufacturing, and leadership across industry and scientific roles.
In this episode, Dr Adriana Kiedzierska-Mencfeld covers:
- Transitioning from academia to industry and the drive to turn science into real patient value
- Key leadership moments including entering new technology areas and managing high-pressure decision making
- Leading through COVID, maintaining operations, and ensuring both product delivery and team safety
- Transforming into a CDMO model and leading organisational change with clarity and purpose
- Competing in a crowded CDMO market through cost discipline, quality standards, and operational efficiency
If you are working in biotech, manufacturing, or scaling scientific innovation into real-world impact, this conversation offers a clear and grounded perspective on leadership, decision making, and building high-performing teams under pressure.
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-beyond-the-lab/id1783115575
Why CDMOs Must Scale Smarter - Peter Belden
Episode 23
Thursday, April 16, 2026 • Duration 10:13
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What does it take to scale pharmaceutical packaging operations globally while maintaining flexibility, quality, and speed to market? In this episode, we explore how strategic packaging partnerships directly impact patient access and commercial success.
This week on Making It In Manufacturing, Harry Sloan sat down with Peter Belden, CCO of Tjoapack, with over 25 years of experience spanning outsourced pharmaceutical services across small, mid-sized, and large organisations, primarily within packaging and global supply chain operations.
In this episode, Peter Belden covers:
00:00 How pharmaceutical packaging plays a critical role beyond the final step, directly influencing timelines and global market access
01:25 The growing need for late-stage customisation and flexible packaging to meet changing patient demand across multiple markets
02:21 Why successful CDMO partnerships start with deep client understanding, including patient population, dosing, and supply chain needs
03:43 Balancing speed to market with quality through strong planning, collaboration, and supply chain alignment
04:43 Strategic expansion in the US, including facility growth and new packaging lines to support long-term demand
This conversation offers a practical look at how packaging strategy, operational discipline, and global experience come together to support pharmaceutical innovation at scale. If you are involved in manufacturing, supply chain, or CDMO partnerships, this episode provides valuable perspective grounded in real industry execution.
Building a Pharma Company Is Harder Than You Think - David Stevens
Episode 22
Thursday, April 16, 2026 • Duration 15:02
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What does it really take to build a world-class pharmaceutical manufacturing business from the ground up while navigating risk, regulation, and rapid innovation?
This week on Making It In Manufacturing, Harry Sloan sat down with David Stevens, CEO of Kindeva, with over 20 years of experience spanning CDMO leadership, startup scale-ups, and pharmaceutical manufacturing across both Europe and the United States, including leadership roles at Kindeva and prior ventures acquired within the pharma ecosystem.
In this episode, David Stevens covers:
(00:01:02) Transitioning from startup CEO to leading Kindeva, and the strategic vision behind building advanced sterile fill-finish capabilities
(00:02:50) Scaling a biologics CDMO from zero to 250 employees during COVID, including lessons from building facilities and teams from scratch
(00:05:41) The future of inhalation technologies, including the shift to low-carbon propellants and the impact on sustainability and patient choice
(00:07:44) Designing next-generation sterile manufacturing facilities with Annex 1 compliance, advanced robotics, and contamination risk reduction
(00:09:57) Why trust, transparency, and operational discipline are critical in a competitive CDMO landscape, especially when managing capacity and client expectations
If you are working in pharmaceutical manufacturing, CDMO strategy, or scaling complex life sciences operations, this conversation offers a grounded perspective on leadership, growth, and building for long-term impact.
The Hidden Challenges of Biologics Development - Dr. Adriana Kiędzierska-Mencfeld
Episode 24
Friday, April 10, 2026 • Duration 27:04
95% of our viewers aren’t subscribed. If you’re watching and not yet subscribed, please subscribe to the channel so you don’t miss future episodes.
What does it really take to move from science into CEO leadership while delivering real impact for patients?
This week on Making It In Manufacturing, Harry Sloan sat down with Dr Adriana Kiedzierska-Mencfeld, CEO of Rezon Bio, with 20 years of experience spanning biotech, biologics manufacturing, and leadership across industry and scientific roles.
In this episode, Dr Adriana Kiedzierska-Mencfeld covers:
- Transitioning from academia to industry and the drive to turn science into real patient value
- Key leadership moments including entering new technology areas and managing high-pressure decision making
- Leading through COVID, maintaining operations, and ensuring both product delivery and team safety
- Transforming into a CDMO model and leading organisational change with clarity and purpose
- Competing in a crowded CDMO market through cost discipline, quality standards, and operational efficiency
If you are working in biotech, manufacturing, or scaling scientific innovation into real-world impact, this conversation offers a clear and grounded perspective on leadership, decision making, and building high-performing teams under pressure.
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-beyond-the-lab/id1783115575
This Model Could Replace Traditional CDMOs
Episode 21
Thursday, April 9, 2026 • Duration 20:52
What if you could access GMP manufacturing without giving up control, ownership, or flexibility? In this episode, a new model challenges how biotech companies think about scaling.
This week on Making It In Manufacturing, Harry Sloan sat down with Sarah Stevens, CEO of Chrysalis, with over 20 years of experience spanning CDMO services, technical operations, and leadership roles across biopharma manufacturing.
In this episode, Sarah Stevens covers:
(00:00) How Chrysalis is redefining the CDMO model with a hybrid approach that allows companies to retain control of IP, timelines, and manufacturing processes
(02:20) Why today’s biotech environment demands more flexible, cost-conscious manufacturing strategies and how companies can better manage capital allocation
(04:25) Where biotech companies get manufacturing strategy wrong when balancing speed versus long-term scalability in GMP processes
(08:57) A 20-year career journey from academic research into executive leadership and what drives success in CDMO environments
(13:21) How Chrysalis evolved its model into a scalable and mobile platform, enabling customers to transition seamlessly into their own facilities
If you are navigating manufacturing strategy, scaling operations, or evaluating CDMO partnerships, this episode offers a clear perspective on how to approach flexibility, control, and long-term success in biopharma.
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-beyond-the-lab/id1783115575
The Truth About Automation in Modern Biomanufacturing - Daniel Shearer, FujiFilm
Episode 20
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 • Duration 16:32
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How do you bring a $400M biotech facility online… without getting automation wrong?
This week, in another episode of Making It in Manufacturing, we feature Daniel Shearer, Head of Automation at FUJIFILM, with over 15+ years of experience spanning automation engineering, capital projects, and large-scale biotech manufacturing environments.
In this episode, Dan covers:
- The $400M multi-modal manufacturing asset at Fujifilm’s Billingham site and what it takes to bring it online
- How automation has evolved over the past decade and why data integration is now critical
- The importance of standardisation, and how it can reduce cost, validation time, and complexity
- Integration challenges across systems like MES, LIMS, and quality platforms
- The most common pitfalls in automation projects, and how to avoid them
Whether you're building a new facility or scaling existing operations, this episode is packed with practical insights from someone working at the forefront of modern biomanufacturing.
👉 Be sure to check out the full episode and learn how to get automation right from day one.
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Website: https://arto-talent.com
The Relentless Mindset Behind Scaling a Drug Manufacturing Company | Philippe Clavel
Episode 19
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 • Duration 38:57
Building a CDMO capable of taking therapies from early discovery to commercial supply requires more than scale. It requires scientific depth, operational discipline and a culture that embraces problems rather than avoids them.
This week on Making It In Manufacturing, Harry Sloan sat down with Philippe Clavel, CEO of Curapath, bringing decades of experience across pharmaceutical manufacturing, leadership and CDMO strategy.
In this episode, Philippe Clavel covers:
• The evolution of CuraPath from a university spin-off focused on polymer science to a drug delivery CDMO serving biotech and large pharmaceutical companies (00:00)
• Why deep scientific expertise in polymer science and lipid nanoparticles is essential for solving complex drug delivery challenges and improving manufacturing processes (02:29)
• How CuraPath transitioned from early-stage discovery work to commercial manufacturing, growing from 0% commercial revenue to roughly 30% within five years (05:14)
• The operational realities of scaling into GMP manufacturing, including building robust processes, documentation and training across the organisation (10:12)
• Why successful CDMO partnerships are built on trust, technical questioning and understanding the deeper motivations behind a customer’s drug development programme (17:00)
If you’re interested in the realities of scaling a specialist CDMO, building high-trust biotech partnerships and transforming scientific innovation into manufacturable therapies, this conversation offers valuable insight from someone leading that journey firsthand.
How Pharma Actually Sets Global Standards (GAMP Explained)
Episode 18
Monday, March 23, 2026 • Duration 14:35
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What does it take to standardise an entire industry, and keep pace with AI, cloud, and digital transformation?
This week on Making It in Manufacturing, we feature Thana Subramanian, GAMP Global Steering Committee Co-Chair, with over 32 years of experience in idustry, with 25 years as an ISPE member and 15 years as part of the GAMP CoP.
In this episode, Thana covers:
- The history and purpose of ISPE and its role in advancing pharmaceutical manufacturing
- How GAMP evolved alongside regulatory bodies like the FDA and EMA
- The benefits of ISPE membership, from networking to access to global best practices
- The origins and evolution of GAMP, from early guidance to modern AI-driven systems
- The objectives and key themes of the latest GAMP UK Conference, including AI, digital validation, and data integrity
If you’re working in pharma, biotech, or advanced manufacturing, this episode gives you a clear lens into how global standards are shaped — and where the industry is heading next.
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