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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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