Leadership Lab 🔪- Dissecting life science success stories

Maurice Thornton

Join Maurice Thornton, founder and managing director of headcount AG, as he hosts top leaders and innovators in pharma, biotech, medtech, and digital health. Each episode delves deep into the personal journeys behind groundbreaking achievements in life sciences. From unexpected challenges to pivotal breakthroughs, Maurice uncovers the hidden ingredients of success, asking the questions others don’t. Curious how they made it? So are we 😉 Tune in every month for candid conversations that reveal the untold stories behind some of the industry’s most transformative leaders.

  1. Jun 5

    Christopher Hertz on Medtech, wound care & the reality of building a startup

    In this episode of leadership lab, Maurice Thornton speaks with Christopher Hertz, Founder and Managing Director of Piomic, about what it really takes to build a medtech startup. Christopher shares his journey from molecular biology at ETH Zurich to co-founding piomic, a company working in advanced wound care. What started as a nine-month “let’s see if this works” idea became a much longer journey through prototypes, investors, clinical studies, FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, and the reality of trying to bring a medical device to patients. Together, Maurice and Christopher talk about non-healing wounds, the hidden burden of diabetic wound care, why staying close to physicians, nurses and patients matters, and why healthcare innovation cannot happen only from behind a desk. They also discuss the founder side of the story: building the right team, making difficult decisions, raising money, creating a board, almost giving up, travelling endlessly, and learning how to keep going when things get heavy. Need to hire exceptional talent in pharma, biotech, medtech, or digital health? Write to us at hello@headcount.ch — we’d love to hear what you’re building. Follow leadership lab and share this episode with someone who might find it useful.

    59 min

  2. May 7

    Tiago Nunes on Rare Disease, Clinical Development & Finding Joy at Work

    In this episode of Leadership Lab, Maurice Thornton speaks with Tiago Nunes, SVP Clinical Development at Mirum Pharmaceuticals, about rare disease, clinical development, patient-centred trials, and the career turns that shaped his path. From Rio de Janeiro to Europe, from medicine and GI research to pharma and biotech, Tiago shares an honest look at finding the right fit, learning from feedback, and building a career with joy and purpose. Together, Maurice and Tiago explore what clinical development really involves, why rare disease trials require creativity, how patient voices can shape better studies, and why the best clinical operations people are often both pragmatic and deeply creative. Need to hire exceptional talent in pharma, biotech, medtech, or digital health? Write to us at hello@headcount.ch — we’d love to hear what you’re building. Follow leadership lab and share this episode with someone who might find it useful.

    1h 1m

  3. Apr 2

    Stop selling yourself: Catherine Leduc on career strategy and standing out

    What if the reason you are not standing out is not lack of experience, but lack of clarity? Career coach Catherine Leduc joins Maurice Thornton to explore personal branding, networking, career drift, and what it really takes to stand out in today’s life sciences job market. *** In this episode of leadership lab, they discuss why career growth is not just about selling yourself better, but understanding yourself better. From personal branding and networking to career transitions and senior-level job search strategy, this conversation is full of practical insight for professionals looking to grow with more clarity and intention. A smart, grounded conversation for anyone building a career in pharma, biotech, medtech, or digital health. Need hiring support across pharma, biotech, medtech, or digital health? Contact headcount at hello@headcount.ch or visit https://www.headcount.ch Follow headcount on LinkedIn for more insights, conversations, and leadership content from across the life sciences industry.

    1h 11m

  4. Mar 14 ·  Bonus

    Does my contribution really make a difference?

    As part of our Podcasthon initiative, we sat down with Mathias Terheggen, Head of Partnerships and Philanthropy at ETH Foundation, to talk about a question many people ask before giving: does my contribution really make a difference? In this conversation, Mathias shares how donations help create real opportunities for future scientific talent, why every contribution matters, and how support can help shape the environment where curiosity, research, and innovation grow. If you’ve ever wondered whether your support can have a real impact, this episode is for you. You can donate any amount here: https://ethz-foundation.ch/en/online-giving-polyfonds/

    33 min

  5. Mar 5

    AI is helping candidates… so why does hiring feel harder? Jana Herrmann, Roche's Global Head Integrated Workforce Strategies, answers

    AI is making CVs look better than ever — but is it actually making hiring easier? In this episode of leadership lab, Maurice sits down with Jana Herman, Chapter Lead for Integrated Workforce Strategies at Roche (Basel), to break down what’s changing in recruitment right now — and what isn’t. Jana shares why candidates are currently the biggest winners from AI, how hiring teams handle huge application volumes, and why human experts are still doing the screening in many organisations. They also unpack video interviews, internal talent marketplaces, and the long-promised shift to skills-based hiring. Along the way, Jana walks us through her career journey — from growing up in Brazil to studying in Geneva, working as a flight attendant, moving into HR and executive search, and ultimately shaping a global workforce strategy function inside Roche. In this episode: AI, CV screening, and why “perfect” applications can slow hiring down How recruiters manage high volumes without losing candidate experience Video interviews: when they help, when they frustrate Culture fit vs the “perfect CV” Internal gigs and talent marketplaces (and the guard rails they need) Skills-based hiring: big promise, hard execution Career advice: impact, networks, comfort zones, and why “the right time” is a myth If you enjoyed this conversation, follow leadership lab and share the episode with someone hiring — or job hunting — right now.

    1h 7m

  6. Feb 5

    Annick Whyte — Vibe coding is the skill no one told you to learn!

    Hiring people who are better than you isn’t just good leadership — it’s the point. In this Season 2 opener of Leadership Lab, Maurice sits down with Annick Whyte, Commercial Delivery and Adoption Lead, to unpack what leadership looks like when the pace is fast, the stakes are high, and AI is changing the rules. Annick shares why the real unlock isn’t “better prompts” — it’s vibe coding: building small, fast apps and workflows that prove value quickly, then bringing the business along for the ride. In this episode, we talk about: Why the best leaders hire people who are better than them (and how to stay secure while doing it) What “delivery and adoption” actually looks like day-to-day AI in pharma: where it’s already accelerating work (and where it still gets stuck) “AI wars”: OpenAI vs Gemini vs Copilot — what shows up when you compare outputs Moving from commercial to R&D, and why AI drug discovery is the next frontier Resilience as a leadership advantage (inner compass, clarity, and doing the work) 👉🏻 If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show and rate leadership lab — it genuinely helps more people find it. Need to hire? hello@headcount.ch

    1 hr

  7. 11/12/2025

    Armend Håti’s Founder journey — From IP to ClexBio and the future of cell therapy

    Meet Armend Håti — Kosovo-born, Norway-raised bioengineer who turned an early patent into ClexBio. We talk about being a “young” biotech founder, the US spark that flipped his mindset, why his first industry role was (surprise) in krill, paying patent bills out of pocket, fundraising nerves, and the big move from Oslo to Zurich to surround the science with the right talent. We finish with a compact masterclass for PhDs and first-time founders on validating ideas and actually asking for the money. ClexBio in one line | Enabling cells as therapy — first with delivery systems for stem-cell assets, then toward engineered, vascularised tissues. www.clexbio.com Mentorship Minute | Validate the need with uncomfortable conversations, filter the feedback, refine or kill fast. And if you can, co-found with legal firepower. Chapters00:00 Meet Armend — origin & identity02:10 From Kosovo to Norway — values & education06:40 Nerd energy → bioengineering (dyslexia as edge)10:50 US spark — Santa Barbara & Boston shift to building24:55 Why krill? First industry role & learning to pitch31:40 From IP to startup — buying the patent & fundraising52:10 Landing in Zurich — talent, scale, next chapter56:50 ClexBio in one line — enabling cells as therapy1:02:50 Mentorship Minute — advice for PhDs & founders 👍 Follow the show on Spotify, and subscribe on YouTube for new episodes. ➡️ For the latest life sciences roles, follow us on LinkedIn or visit our website!

    1h 5m

  8. 10/13/2025

    From Red Bull to Swiss MedTech: Adrian Hunn’s journey through leadership, culture & change

    From Red Bull to Swiss MedTech — Adrian Hunn on leadership, curiosity, and building Swiss innovation. From marketing energy drinks to leading the Swiss MedTech association — Adrian Hunn’s career proves that leadership lessons can come from anywhere. In this episode of leadership lab, host Maurice Thornton dives into Adrian’s story — from his early love of team sports and military service, to a decade at Sonova, a CEO role in dental implants, and now shaping Switzerland’s medtech ecosystem. You’ll hear: How teamwork and curiosity shaped his leadership style Lessons from Red Bull, Sonova, and the “Hear the World” campaign Why culture can make or break a career move Swiss MedTech’s mission: networking, knowledge & impact The realities behind the 39% US tariff and what it means for medtech His Mentorship Minute on goals, curiosity, and knowing yourself Follow Leadership Lab for more stories of ambition, resilience, and leadership from across pharma, biotech, medtech & digital health. #leadershiplab #medtech #careergrowth #headcountag

    1h 2m
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About

Join Maurice Thornton, founder and managing director of headcount AG, as he hosts top leaders and innovators in pharma, biotech, medtech, and digital health. Each episode delves deep into the personal journeys behind groundbreaking achievements in life sciences. From unexpected challenges to pivotal breakthroughs, Maurice uncovers the hidden ingredients of success, asking the questions others don’t. Curious how they made it? So are we 😉 Tune in every month for candid conversations that reveal the untold stories behind some of the industry’s most transformative leaders.

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