A Call to Lead @LifeScience ORG

LifeScience ORG
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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. Namir Hassan, Zelluna

    4D AGO

    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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. Ola Wlodek, Constructive Bio

    MAR 25

    Ola Wlodek, Constructive Bio

    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

    38 min
  6. Eliot Forster, Levicept

    MAR 18

    Eliot Forster, Levicept

    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

    36 min
  7. Szabolcs Nagy, Turbine

    MAR 11

    Szabolcs Nagy, Turbine

    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

    40 min
  8. Kärt Tomberg, ExpressionEdits

    MAR 4

    Kärt Tomberg, ExpressionEdits

    What do you do when entrepreneurship calls and your partner lives overseas? How much can you really delegate as a CEO? Why does a 50-year-old gene expression problem still exist – and what happens if we solve it? I’m joined by Kart Tomberg, CEO of ExpressionEdits based in Cambridge, UK. ExpressionEdits is a seed-stage company taking on the challenging bottlenecks going from DNA to protein and convincing cells to make proteins for us. 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 2:52 - From Academia to Entrepreneurship 7:18 - Early Leadership Lessons 10:30 - The Two-Body Problem 13:39 - Challenges Facing Life Science CEOs 19:25 - Cambridge Ecosystem & European Life Science 22:59 - The Science: Protein Expression Challenge 30:45 - Leadership Philosophy & Delegation

    35 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
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright LifeScience Connect Ltd
  • Show Website
    A Call to Lead @LifeScience ORG