Lessons on Leading Through Uncertainty in Pharma

Lessons on Leading Through Uncertainty in Pharma

In this episode of Pharma Sessions, host Jonathan Kaskey welcomes back Danie du Plessis, the first-ever guest on Pharma Sessions, for a wide-ranging conversation about what it takes to lead in medical affairs today. What You’ll Learn: * How to position yourself for long-term career success in medical affairs * The power of scientific storytelling * Why coaching is for everyone * How AI is reshaping the landscape without replacing the need for critical thinking and human ownership Danie du Plessis is a globally recognized Medical Affairs leader, mentor, and coach with nearly three decades of experience across multinational pharmaceutical organizations. Danie has many career accomplishments, leading Med Affairs at companies like Kyowa Kirin and GSK and taking highly influential roles with MAPS. Pharma Sessions provides general insights into the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry through conversations with its guests. The content shared in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical, legal, regulatory, or financial advice. The use of any information discussed in this episode or materials linked from the podcast is at the listener’s own risk. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Jonathan Kaskey, Pharma Sessions, its sponsors, or affiliated organizations. Any reference to specific products, companies, regulatory pathways, or commercial strategies is provided for discussion purposes only and does not constitute endorsement or validation by the podcast, host, or sponsors. Episode Resources: * Danie du Plessis on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danie-du-plessis-2171ba4/] * Jonathan Kaskey on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkaskey/] * XSUNT Corporation Website [http://www.xsunt.com/] Or join the Pharma Sessions Substack: www.pharmasessions.substack.com [https://pharmasessions.substack.com/] Pharma Sessions is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so [https://www.fame.so/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=masters-of-community-with-david-spinks?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=fame-client]

Where AI Delivers Real Value in Pharma Today with Emily Lewis

Here’s what keeps pharma leaders awake at night: 70% to 80% of ChatGPT usage is healthcare-related/ However, most pharmaceutical organizations still treat AI as a future consideration rather than an immediate competitive necessity. In this episode of Pharma Sessions, host Jonathan Kaskey is joined by Emily Lewis, Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Lead for Digital Care Transformation at UCB, to explore why LLMs alone won’t move medicine forward, how to build cross-functional AI literacy across your organization, and the regulatory workflows where AI will deliver impact fastest. What You’ll Learn: * Why LLMs alone aren't enough for medicine * How to stop waiting for corporate training and start building AI competency yourself * Why the regulatory space is the fastest, lowest-hanging fruit for AI impact * How to stay ahead while managing information overload * Why consumerization in pharma is about patient empowerment Emily Lewis is the Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Lead for Digital Care Transformation at UCB. With nearly two decades of experience across clinical operations, digital health, patient engagement, and AI strategy, Emily has built a career helping organizations rethink how data, machine learning, and human-centered design can transform patient care. Emily is also a global educator, advisor, and advocate,  teaching AI in pharma, advising on ethical AI, mentoring future innovators, and contributing to thought leadership across organizations like Harvard Business Review, HITLAB, and Women Techmakers. Disclaimer: Pharma Sessions is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Guest opinions are their own and do not reflect the views of the host or sponsors. Use of any information provided is at the listener’s own risk and does not imply endorsement of specific products or strategies. Episode Resources: * Emily Lewis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-lewis-hcls-ai/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-lewis-hcls-ai/]  * UCB Website: http://www.ucb.com/ [http://www.ucb.com/]  * Jonathan Kaskey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkaskey/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkaskey/]  * XSUNT Corporation Website: http://www.xsunt.com/ [http://www.xsunt.com/]  Or join the Pharma Sessions Substack: www.pharmasessions.substack.com [https://pharmasessions.substack.com/] Pharma Sessions is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so [https://www.fame.so/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=masters-of-community-with-david-spinks?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=fame-client]

How Medical Affairs Becomes the Connector with Sonia Talwar

In this episode of Pharma Sessions, host Jonathan Kaskey is joined by Sonia Talwar, Senior Director of Scientific Communications and Medical Information in Hematology/Oncology at Pharmacosmos Therapeutics, to discuss how medical affairs can evolve from a reactive support function into a true strategic connector. What You’ll Learn: * How medical information teams sit on a goldmine of unfiltered HCP insights * Why that data deserves a seat at the strategy table * How to reposition medical information as strategic intelligence * Practical AI applications that work today Sonia Talwar is the Senior Director of Scientific Communications and Medical Information in Hematology/Oncology at Pharmacosmos Therapeutics. Sonia has spent more than 15 years building and scaling Medical Affairs capabilities across pharma with deep expertise in medical information, publication strategy, scientific communications, and evidence planning. What makes Sonia’s perspective especially compelling is her ability to connect functions that are often siloed : Medical, Market Access, Commercial, HEOR, and Scientific Communications. Pharma Sessions provides general insights into the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry through conversations with its guests. The content shared in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical, legal, regulatory, or financial advice. The use of any information discussed in this episode or materials linked from the podcast is at the listener’s own risk. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Jonathan Kaskey, Pharma Sessions, its sponsors, or affiliated organizations. Any reference to specific products, companies, regulatory pathways, or commercial strategies is provided for discussion purposes only and does not constitute endorsement or validation by the podcast, host, or sponsors. Episode Resources: * Sonia Talwar on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hello-sonia-talwar/] * Jonathan Kaskey on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkaskey/] * XSUNT Corporation Website [http://www.xsunt.com/] Or join the Pharma Sessions Substack: www.pharmasessions.substack.com [https://pharmasessions.substack.com/] Pharma Sessions is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so [https://www.fame.so/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=masters-of-community-with-david-spinks?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=fame-client]

Why Manufacturing Is the New Competitive Edge in Cell and Gene Therapy

In this episode of Pharma Sessions, host Jonathan Kaskey is joined by Eytan Abraham, the Chief Commercial and Technology Officer at Minaris Advanced Therapies, to dive into how pharma companies can choose the right CDMO partners, the future of cell and gene therapy manufacturing, and the hard-earned lessons behind building sustainable, high-performance organizations in one of the most complex areas of medicine. What You’ll Learn: * Why CDMO selection is your single highest-impact business decision * How to evaluate a CDMO partner when your company's future depends on the choice * The counterintuitive advantage of cell therapy manufacturing over small molecules * Why manufacturing has gone from an afterthought to a critical strategic decision * Why in-house manufacturing is almost always the wrong capital allocation, except for one scenario * How investor composition and board experience directly predict success or failure Eytan Abraham is the Chief Commercial and Technology Officer at Minaris Advanced Therapies, a global leader in cell and gene therapy manufacturing and biosafety testing. Eytan brings over a decade of experience across cell and gene therapy development, CDMOs, and biotech innovation, with leadership roles spanning organizations like Lonza and Resilience. His unique perspective across public, venture-backed, and private equity-backed environments gives him a rare, 360-degree view of what it takes to build, scale, and optimize advanced therapy manufacturing. Pharma Sessions provides general insights into the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry through conversations with its guests. The content shared in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical, legal, regulatory, or financial advice. The use of any information discussed in this episode or materials linked from the podcast is at the listener’s own risk. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Jonathan Kaskey, Pharma Sessions, its sponsors, or affiliated organizations. Any reference to specific products, companies, regulatory pathways, or commercial strategies is provided for discussion purposes only and does not constitute endorsement or validation by the podcast, host, or sponsors. Episode Resources: * Eytan Abraham on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/eytana/] * Minaris Advanced Therapies Website [http://www.minaris.com/] * Jonathan Kaskey on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkaskey/] * XSUNT Corporation Website [http://www.xsunt.com/] Or join the Pharma Sessions Substack: www.pharmasessions.substack.com [https://pharmasessions.substack.com/] Pharma Sessions is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so [https://www.fame.so/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=masters-of-community-with-david-spinks?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=fame-client]

The Future of Healthcare with Dr. David Shulkin, former Secretary of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Part 2

In this episode of Pharma Sessions, host Jonathan Kaskey sits down for a second time with Dr. David Shulkin, President of Shulkin Solutions, to challenge the pharmaceutical industry’s fundamental approach to drug pricing and argue that outcomes-based contracting is the path forward for sustainable profitability and patient access. What You’ll Learn: * How to reframe pharma's competitive advantage from price negotiation to value-based contracting * Why the hepatitis C precedent proves outcomes-based models work at scale * The strategic mistake pharma is making in R&D prioritization * How to position intellectual property extensions as a trade-off for pricing transparency * Why “a doctor and patient deciding” is a false narrative, and what actually controls access Dr. David Shulkin is a physician, healthcare executive, and the Ninth Secretary of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Shulkin is the only person to have led the VA healthcare system under two different presidential administrations, overseeing the nation’s largest integrated health system serving more than 9 million veterans. Pharma Sessions provides general insights into the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry through conversations with its guests. The content shared in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical, legal, regulatory, or financial advice. The use of any information discussed in this episode or materials linked from the podcast is at the listener’s own risk. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Jonathan Kaskey, Pharma Sessions, its sponsors, or affiliated organizations. Any reference to specific products, companies, regulatory pathways, or commercial strategies is provided for discussion purposes only and does not constitute endorsement or validation by the podcast, host, or sponsors. Episode Resources: * Dr. David Shulkin on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidshulkin/] * Shulkin Solutions Website [https://shulkinsolutions.com/] * Jonathan Kaskey on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkaskey/] * XSUNT Corporation Website [http://www.xsunt.com/] Or join the Pharma Sessions Substack: www.pharmasessions.substack.com [https://pharmasessions.substack.com/] Pharma Sessions is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so [https://www.fame.so/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=masters-of-community-with-david-spinks?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=fame-client]