A Call to Lead @LifeScience ORG

LifeScience ORG
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship

A Call To Lead is a series shining a light on the leadership, vision, and impact of European life science CEOs who are proving that world-class ventures don’t need to be built in Boston to shape the future of healthcare. Each episode features a one-on-one conversation with a European life science CEO and member of the LifeScience ORG community. Our conversations are not about companies or pipelines; instead, guests reflect on their personal journeys, the pivotal choices that shaped their careers, and the future they are helping to build. These kinds of insights are rarely shared publicly. New episodes are released every Thursday.

  1. Susan Hill, Mestag Therapeutics

    4d ago

    Susan Hill, Mestag Therapeutics

    Why is condensing information a critical skill for a CEO? How do you keep dozens of people across different functions of a company feel like one team? And why should you keep patients and caregivers at the centre of drug discovery? Today I’m joined by Susan Hill, CEO of Mestag Therapeutics, a Cambridge-based company developing new programs for cancer and inflammatory disease. We’ll touch on the science towards 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. Chapters 0:00 – From Lab to Boardroom 6:23 – The Call to Lead 10:26 – Knowing When to Jump 14:12 – Comfortable with Uncertainty 16:33 – Shared Challenges at the Top 21:01 – The Art of Condensing 27:56 – Tackling Solid Tumors 32:46 – Multiple Teams, One Mission 34:36 – Closing the Gap for Patients 39:00 – Sailing Toward the Horizon

    41 min
  2. Danuta Jeziorska, Uncover Therapeutics

    Jun 18

    Danuta Jeziorska, Uncover Therapeutics

    How does a cancer diagnosis completely rewire your leadership style? Why is maintaining your mindset a core responsibility of a CEO? And what is the question every leader should ask themselves before they make a decision? Today I’m joined by Danuta Jeziorska, the former CEO and co-founder of Nucleome and current CEO and co-founder of Uncover Therapeutics based in Oxford. Uncover is an immuno-oncology company turning cancer’s immunoshield into an immunobeacon. And we’ll get more into the science of that towards 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. Chapters 0:58 — Fascination With the Code of Life 5:06 — The CV in the Suitcase 12:54 — From the Lab to the Boardroom 17:20 — A Pandemic, a Diagnosis and a Company to Run 21:03 — Leading From Purpose Not Fear 25:26 — The CEO's Most Underrated Responsibility 30:48 — Why She Said Yes to Oncology 32:34 — What Europe Must Do Differently

    39 min
  3. Stefanie Flückiger, TOLREMO Therapeutics

    Jun 3

    Stefanie Flückiger, TOLREMO Therapeutics

    What happens when the science you built a company on becomes the science you desperately wish could save someone close? How do you transform as a leader as your company evolves? And why should you actively seek out friction when building your company? Today I’m joined by Stephanie Flueckiger, co-founder and CEO of TOLREMO Therapeutics based in Basel, Switzerland. TOLREMO is developing small molecules to reprogram cancer for longer patient benefit. As usual, we’ll talk a bit 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. Chapters 0:00 — From Science to Purpose 1:17 — A Founder's Call to Action 5:52 — Tragedy at the Start 9:27 — Evolving as a Leader 14:41 — Leading Calmly Under Pressure 17:54 — The Swiss and European Ecosystem 21:30 — Communicating Across Cultures 24:42 — The Science of Drug Resistance 29:49 — Embracing Friction

    33 min
  4. Marc Gitzinger, BioVersys

    May 27

    Marc Gitzinger, BioVersys

    Why is self-awareness the secret ingredient to good leadership? How do you let go of a critical early team member? And what does it take to found a company during your PhD? Today I’m joined by Marc Gitzinger, CEO of BioVersys, a biotech based in Basel, Switzerland. BioVersys is a leader in the anti-infective space, developing new antibiotics for very highly drug-resistant infections. 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. Chapters 01:16 — From the Lab to the Boardroom 02:51 — The Naivety That Gets You Started 04:08 — When the Board Asks the Impossible 09:12 — Managing Up: Working With Your Board 11:42 — Try Before You Buy: Choosing Independent Directors 15:25 — Three Experts, One Decision 17:05 — A Culture of Calculated Risk 19:05 — A Hub Unlike Any Other 20:40 — The Antibiotic Paradox 25:14 — Stigma, Silence, and Resistant Infections 35:15 — The Mirror Test

    39 min
  5. Namir Hassan, Zelluna

    May 13

    Namir Hassan, Zelluna

    Why do people with a sense of service make better leaders? How do you walk into the boardroom – on the cusp of clinical trials – and tell them the strategy is set to fail? And what does it mean to go from CSO to CEO on the brink of a pivot? Today I’m joined by Namir Hassan, CEO of Zelluna based in Oslo, Norway. Zelluna is developing next generation off the shelf cell therapies to address huge unmet needs like solid tumours in oncology. 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. Chapters 1:32 A personal connection to cancer 4:12 From scientist to CEO: answering the call 4:25 Service as a leadership philosophy 6:58 Leading through a high-stakes pivot 15:25 Stepping into the unknown: leading outside your expertise 19:50 The challenges facing biotech leaders today 21:49 Activity is not progress 24:25 The biotech ecosystem in Oslo 27:51 Why solid tumors are so hard to treat 32:15 What the ecosystem needs to address solid cancer 34:58 A call for steady, accountable leadership

    37 min
  6. Reagan Jarvis, Anocca

    May 6

    Reagan Jarvis, Anocca

    What does it take to follow the science halfway round the world? How do you persuade a team of brilliant scientists to go from asking questions to building solutions? And why is “If you’re explaining, you’re losing” some of the worst advice in biotech? Today I’m joined by Reagan Jarvis, CEO of Anocca. Anocca is a T-Cell biology biotech based near Stockholm, Sweden, and they’re building a platform to decipher T-cell targets and targeting constructs to develop personalised and precise T-cell therapies. 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. Chapters 01:35 — Following the Science Across the World 03:04 — From Postdoc Frustration to Founding a Company 04:37 — Taking the CEO Role 06:02 — Redirecting Scientists Toward Execution 10:59 — Communicating Differentiation in a Complex Field 13:53 — Lessons in Tone and Positioning 18:31 — Building Biotech in Europe 22:29 — Decoding T-Cell Biology and the Path to Personalised Therapies 32:39 — Leadership vs. Management

    37 min
  7. Yogev Debbi, Mana Bio

    Apr 30

    Yogev Debbi, Mana Bio

    How do you run a company that is – quite literally – in a warzone? Why should you define your culture before building the company? And what is the secret to a co-founder relationship that’s lasted longer than most marriages? Today I’m joined by Yogev Debbi, CEO and co-founder of Mana Bio based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Mana is an AI based drug delivery startup, focusing on gene therapy including DNA and RNA-based therapeutics, and vaccines. 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. Chapters 1:37 – From Software to Life Science: Finding Purpose Beyond Profit 3:41 – Building a Founding Team: Hiring Scientists When You're Not One 16:42 – The Co-Founder Relationship: Trust, Transparency, and Two Decades Together 19:17 – Defining Culture Before You Have a Company 21:05 – Using Investors as a Filter: Reverse Due Diligence During Ideation 32:38 – Leading Through Crisis: Resilience in an Active Conflict Zone 37:55 – The Gene Delivery Challenge: Why the Space Shuttle Matters More Than the Astronaut 39:41 – AI-Driven Drug Discovery: Redefining What a Failed Experiment Means 45:18 – The Tech-Bio Convergence: Bridging Two Worlds Within One Team

    50 min
  8. Jean-Pierre Latere, EsoBiotec

    Apr 22

    Jean-Pierre Latere, EsoBiotec

    What do you do when a family member gets a life-changing diagnosis? How do you convince investors to back the impossible? And why should you ask every expert to kill your idea? I’m joined by JP Latere, CEO of Esobiotec. Based in Belgium, Esobiotec pioneered in-vivo cell therapy and was acquired by AstraZeneca in a billion-dollar deal in 2025. Of course, we’ll talk more about the deal (and 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. Chapters 0:00 Introduction 2:35 When Cancer Gets Personal 5:47 No More Options 7:48 The Manufacturing Crisis 12:18 A Crazy Idea Worth Exploring 12:57 Betting on the Impossible 17:16 How to Kill an Idea 28:19 The China Pivot 34:06 Good Data Screams 38:54 Cell Therapy for Everyone 42:03 The Patient Is the Ultimate Shareholder

    44 min
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About

A Call To Lead is a series shining a light on the leadership, vision, and impact of European life science CEOs who are proving that world-class ventures don’t need to be built in Boston to shape the future of healthcare. Each episode features a one-on-one conversation with a European life science CEO and member of the LifeScience ORG community. Our conversations are not about companies or pipelines; instead, guests reflect on their personal journeys, the pivotal choices that shaped their careers, and the future they are helping to build. These kinds of insights are rarely shared publicly. New episodes are released every Thursday.

Information

  • Creator
    LifeScience ORG
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright LifeScience Connect Ltd
  • Show Website
    A Call to Lead @LifeScience ORG