Danuta Jeziorska, Uncover Therapeutics

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

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

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 [https://www.bioversys.com/], 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

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

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