Active Ingredients

Fraser Dove International

The Active Ingredients podcast dissects the very essence of exceptional leadership in the life sciences. Our quest is to educate, motivate, and inspire life science professionals to soar to new heights of visionary leadership.

Join host Thomas Dove, Co-Founder at Fraser Dove International, as he delves into enriching discussions at the intersection of science and leadership. Wherever you are in your career journey, whether just starting out or leading a team or department, you'll discover a wealth of practical insights and wisdom to carve your leadership journey in the life sciences.

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S1 · E38
Monday · 45 min
Leading With Gemba And Purpose In Manufacturing With Craig Sommerville
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove speaks with Craig Sommerville, Independent Consultant in Supply Chain Strategy and Transformation at Springbank Consulting Ltd. Craig Sommerville built his career in large pharma and CDMO manufacturing, spending over 25 years at GSK before moving into independent consulting through Springbank Consulting Ltd. In this conversation, he shares the three ingredients he believes make a great leader: clarity of purpose, authenticity and building high performing teams. He explains why he chose manufacturing over research for its immediate impact, and how being deliberate, transparent and persistent took him from head office back to a manufacturing site in Scotland. Craig also introduces gemba with purpose, his practice for focused walks around gemba — the Japanese term for “the real place” where the work happens. Key Takeaways · Gain a practical definition of gemba with purpose, Craig Sommerville's practice for walking the shop floor with a specific problem in mind. · Uncover why a gemba with no clear purpose leaves employees disengaged, while a focused, supportive walk builds trust and lifts engagement. · Learn why clarity of purpose, authenticity and building high performing teams are Craig Sommerville's three essential leadership ingredients. · Apply Craig Sommerville's lesson on authenticity: copying a directive leadership style left him feeling inauthentic and drained. · Take away Craig Sommerville's closing advice for new leaders: be bold and ambitious, but lead with humility. · Identify the operating cadence Craig Sommerville uses to keep a site aligned, from town halls to weekly one-to-ones owned by the team. · Explore the strategic and family reasons that led Craig Sommerville back to a manufacturing site in Scotland. · Discover why Craig Sommerville chose manufacturing over research, favouring change with an immediate impact over results that can take twelve to fifteen years to appear. · Understand how being the technical face of an organisation to suppliers built Craig Sommerville's earliest leadership skills. Snippets · "Be deliberate, be transparent and be persistent." · "You try to emulate that style, and it doesn't come across quite well. You come across as inauthentic. It's energy sapping as well." · "Gemba with purpose is not just a walk around... You start the gemba with a view as to what problem you're going to solve, and keep it focused on that problem." Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: · [01:25] – Active Ingredients: Craig Sommerville's three leadership ingredients · [04:49] – Career Choice: Choosing manufacturing impact over laboratory research · [13:39] – First Leadership: Becoming the technical face of GSK to suppliers · [16:50] – Purposeful Move: Leaving head office for a manufacturing site in Scotland · [24:24] – Authenticity: Why copying a directive leadership style backfired · [36:59] – Gemba With Purpose: Walking the shop floor with focus · [45:20] – Future Outlook: The rise of AI and why Generation Alpha gives Craig hope Resources • Follow Craig Sommerville on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-sommerville-1222025/ • Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E37
September 14 · 58 min
Behind Glass: What Cdmo Leadership Really Demands With Joerg Ahlgrimm
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Joerg Ahlgrimm, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SK Pharmteco. Joerg Ahlgrimm has led global manufacturing networks at Baxter and Lonza, founded the gene therapy contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) Centre for Breakthrough Medicines during COVID, and now leads SK Pharmteco’s global operations from the United States. In this conversation, he explains why listening, strategy, and fast decision-making remain his three active ingredients of leadership. He shares what changed when he moved from an innovator company to CDMO life, why trust takes years to build and one event to destroy, and how growing up in East Germany shaped his focus on community. Key Takeaways · Explore why CDMO leadership means working “behind glass”, where every deviation and delay is visible to the customer, leaving no safety cushion. · Understand what changes when senior leaders move from an innovator pharmaceutical company into a CDMO, where commercial skill matters as much as operations. · Apply Ahlgrimm’s view on trust: one bad quality result can undo years of goodwill, so proactive communication is as important as getting it right the first time. · Learn why listening, not authority, is Ahlgrimm’s first active ingredient of leadership, since assuming you already know everything is a big trap. · Discover why Ahlgrimm calls himself an “80% guy”. Chasing full certainty before deciding costs speed, and you still make errors regardless. · Gain insight into building a gene therapy CDMO from near nothing, with payroll run hand to mouth before financing closed on Christmas Eve. · Uncover how growing up without freedom of travel or speech in East Germany shaped Ahlgrimm’s lasting belief in community. · Identify why a strong support network, from family to team, carries executives through the loneliest stretches of building something new. · Take away Ahlgrimm’s advice for the next generation: learn the fundamentals broadly, put the patient first, and let results follow. Snippets · “Trust is something which you can’t earn in a very short transactional relationship… It takes a week, or one event, which destroys the trust, and it takes months and years to rebuild it.” · “If you believe that you are a good ops guy in the innovator world, and now you just replicate this to the CDMO world, I think you will fail.” · “Never forget that you will never achieve results by your own work. You will always achieve the results by everybody’s contributions.” Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: · [01:25] – Active Ingredients: Listening, strategy and decision-making as Ahlgrimm’s leadership formula · [03:13] – Decisiveness: Why Ahlgrimm calls himself an “80% guy” over endless analysis · [27:28] – Behind Glass: What full transparency demands of CDMO leaders · [34:56] – Trust: Why it takes years to build and one event to destroy · [43:39] – Startup Scarcity: Building a gene therapy CDMO from nothing during Covid · [56:10] – Advice: What Ahlgrimm would tell the next generation of life science leaders Resources · Follow Joerg Ahlgrimm on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joerg-ahlgrimm-315a925/ · Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E36
August 31 · 46 min
What You Know, Who You Know and How You're Known with John Tomtishen
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews John Tomtishen, Cell and Gene Therapy Executive Leader and Recognised CMC Expert John Tomtishen has spent over a decade in cell and gene therapy, helping deliver the first approved CAR-T therapy at Novartis, building the CMC strategy behind Legend Biotech's Carvykti, and now leading global field application and strategic alliances at Catalent. In this conversation, he shares the three principles- authenticity, integrity and self-sacrifice- that carried him from a 118,000-person pharmaceutical company to his role as Legend Biotech's fifth US employee and into a leading CDMO. He explains why empowerment must precede accountability, what separates a high-performing team from a cohesive one, and his three pillars of career success. Key Takeaways Learn why John Tomtishen treats authenticity, integrity and self-sacrifice as the foundation of every team he builds. Discover why a cohesive team beats a high-performing one, and how non-verbal cues keep results consistent over months, not weeks. Understand why empowerment must come before accountability, and how stepping back strengthens delivery under pressure. Explore Tomtishen's three pillars of career success: what you know, who you know, and the pillar he rates highest, how you're known. Apply the lesson behind Kymriah's approval, captured in his mantra "the process is the product," to any team building manufacturing capability. Gain a grounded view of AI in leadership, where technology supports the work but face-to-face relationships still drive results. Uncover why celebrating small wins keeps teams motivated through the long, high-pressure journey of commercialising a cell therapy. Identify the two factors that decide commercial success against 70-plus rivals: time to market and product quality. Snippets • "I think there's three principles I'm always driven by: authenticity, integrity and self-sacrifice... to lead a team, you have to be willing to take the bullet for your team." • "A high-performing team can last a month or two. A truly cohesive team consistently maintains that performance over time, and can anticipate things before you even say them." • "There's three pillars I've always viewed career success as defined by: what you know, who you know, and how you're known. The most important pillar is how you're known." Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: [01:26] – Active Ingredients: John Tomtishen's three foundational leadership principles [04:20] – Origin Story: How a research project pulled him into cell therapy [08:52] – Pivotal Moment: The Novartis lab experience that made him a leader [27:30] – Empowerment: Why accountability starts with letting go of oversight [29:14] – Team Cohesion: The difference between high-performing and truly cohesive [40:28] – Career Framework: What you know, who you know, how you're known [44:14] – AI Readiness: Using technology without losing the human connection Resources Follow John Tomtishen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-tomtishen-46b16881/ Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E35
August 16 · 1 hr 8 min
Building Win-Win Deals in Generics With Anish Mehta
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove speaks with Anish Mehta, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Synthon. Anish Mehta is a global pharmaceutical CEO whose career spans engineering, strategy consulting, commercial leadership, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and private equity-backed transformation. From biomedical and chemical engineering to McKinsey, Baxter and Hospira, he has spent more than 25 years building businesses and creating value across innovative pharma and generics. In this conversation, he shares how he built leadership from the shop floor up, what it takes to lead globally, and how he creates value through win-win deals. He also explains the discipline of a private equity-backed business, and why patient impact remains his North Star. Key Takeaways · Learn why Anish Mehta names strategic conviction, growth mindset, authenticity and stamina as the ingredients that carry senior leaders through a demanding life sciences career. · Discover how growth creates value only when it serves a purpose, with a North Star anchored to something bigger than the profit and loss account. · Understand why the best leaders stay unapologetically human, taking the work seriously without taking themselves too seriously. · Explore how a summer milling antibiotic ingredients on Abbott's shop floor made Mehta a more relatable and empathetic executive decades later. · Gain a practical dealmaking principle: grow the size of the pie for both sides rather than fight over how a fixed pie is split. · Identify what separates a great dealmaker from a good one, namely the discipline to walk away when deal fever takes hold. · Apply lessons on leading a private equity-backed company, where accountability is absolute, and alignment on a credible plan comes first. · Take away why a better company means more than earnings, including a stronger pipeline, wider geographical footprint and greater patient impact. · Uncover Mehta's advice for the next generation: align work with your values, ignore the risk-averse voice, and become as AI literate as possible. Snippets · "When I win, and they lose, that is not success... I focus on how we increase the size of the pie, not how we split the pie." · "The simplest one is knowing when to walk away. Too many people get deal fever... deal fever is a real thing. I've been in the room, I've seen it." · "Take the roles that the little voice inside you says, are you sure, should you do it, is it risky. Don't listen to that voice. Take the roles that give you a chance to shine." Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: · [00:00] – Intro: Anish Mehta's journey from Chicago to global pharma CEO · [02:58] – Key Ingredients: Strategic conviction, growth mindset, authenticity, stamina · [13:23] – Shop Floor: What milling APIs at Abbott taught him about leadership · [28:39] – Stepping Up: The 2007 challenge that made him a business leader · [42:50] – Dealmaker Mindset: Building win-win partnerships in generics · [48:56] – Private Equity: Leading with full accountability as a PE-backed CEO · [1:06:17] – Advice: What he tells the next generation of life science leaders Resources · Follow Anish Mehta on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anish-mehta-66615a/ · Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E34
August 3 · 1 hr
Courage, Reinvention & Talent Development in Life Sciences with Michaela Griggs
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Michaela Griggs, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Ansella Therapeutics. Michaela Griggs is a turnaround CEO and board director whose career has encompassed global commercial leadership at Bayer and Allergan, CEO positions, and board appointments across healthcare, fertility, aesthetics, and biotech. In this conversation, she talks about what drives her to take on challenges others avoid, how a dyslexia diagnosis fuelled her determination, why the best leaders choose the harder path, and the development frameworks she uses with every team she leads. Key Takeaways · Discover why long-range vision grows more critical with every step up, and how thinking five to fifteen years ahead lets leaders adapt when the landscape changes. · Learn how Michaela Griggs turned a failing consumer health brand into a $100 million product by creating space to think clearly and finding the right thought partner. · Understand why building on a person’s strengths, rather than fixing weaknesses, is a more effective development approach, and why it also lifts areas where they struggle. · Explore Michaela’s one-page career mapping exercise that connects today’s role to a ten-to-fifteen-year vision and puts people in control of their development. · Gain practical advice on brave leadership, including how to admit to a sceptical sales team that you got the strategy wrong and present a clear new direction. · Discover the mantra behind Michaela’s approach to talent development: develop every person as if they could one day be your boss. · Understand why a lattice career of lateral moves and steps back can outpace a straight-line promotion path and builds the breadth that senior life sciences roles demand. · Learn why the most valuable feedback Michaela ever received was being told she talked too much, and how it now shapes the way she gives developmental feedback to her teams. · Explore what Michaela believes the future of leadership requires: stronger emotional intelligence (EQ), flatter team structures, and a shift to team-first thinking. Snippets · “Everybody I develop could one day be my boss, so I better develop them really well so that they’re a good boss.” · “I’ve got a rod of steel down my spine and I hide it in kindness.” · “The one big piece of advice I would give people going into leadership today: take your people with you and really lean into that. Think team first versus self first.” Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: · [00:01] – Introduction: Michaela Griggs, turnaround CEO and board director in life sciences · [00:01:18] – Key Ingredients: Courage, people skills with integrity, and long-range vision · [00:09:01] – Background: Growing up, boarding school, and discovering dyslexia · [00:17:20] – Leadership Origins: The first moment Michaela knew she wanted to lead others · [00:23:17] – Turnaround: Rescuing a struggling consumer health brand from cancellation · [00:38:23] – Talent Development: Developing every person as if they might one day be your boss · [00:43:59] – Career Mapping: A one-page exercise putting people in the driver’s seat of their development · [00:52:08] – Brave Conversations: Asking for honest feedback after being passed over for promotion · [00:58:19] – Future of Leadership: Why team-first thinking and emotional intelligence matter more than ever Resources · Follow Michaela Griggs on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelagriggs/ • Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/
S1 · E33
July 20 · 50 min
Bridging Commercial & Operations in CDMO with Michael Stanek
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove speaks with Michael Stanek, former Vice President (VP) and General Manager (GM) API Global at Thermo Fisher Scientific. With more than 25 years in the contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) sector, Michael has led turnarounds, integrated acquisitions and rethought how commercial and operational teams work together. He shares his dual sales model and what it takes to shift a big pharma culture into a multi-customer CDMO mindset. Key Takeaways · Understand why empathy, listening and curiosity are Stanek’s three core leadership traits, and why they matter most in high-pressure CDMO environments. · Learn how to look beyond first impressions when developing talent, and why investing in people before they believe in themselves can define careers. · Discover why tough environments build better leaders than comfortable ones, and how pressure sharpens the instincts that sustained success can quietly erode. · Explore how to keep teams focused under pressure, from repeating purpose at every level to celebrating small wins during a restructuring. · Identify why the disconnect between commercial and operations in CDMOs is structural, rooted in different time horizons, incentives and definitions of risk between the two functions. · Gain insight into why traditional sales models break in CDMO, and why expecting one person to win new accounts and manage complex long-term relationships rarely works. · Apply the dual sales model that pairs a business manager with a sales manager, eliminating handover gaps and building customer trust from proposal to delivery. · Understand what it takes to shift big pharma culture into a CDMO mindset, and why the cultural shift typically takes two to five years. · Take away Stanek’s advice for the next generation of CDMO leaders: stay curious, communicate openly and invest in people early, before they fully see their own potential. Snippets • "Tough environments teach you things that success simply can't. Success can be comfortable... it can dull your instincts."· • "Selling in our industry is not about charisma or persistence. It requires deep technical understanding, operational willingness, and the ability to navigate uncertainty."· • "Creating trust upfront and accountability downstream; that combination dramatically improves delivery and customer confidence." Timestamps & TopicsResources The following timestamps are approximations: · [00:00] – Intro: Career spanning science, operations and commercial execution · [00:01:40] – Key Ingredients: Empathy, listening and curiosity · [00:06:34] – Early Leadership: Believing in people before they believe in themselves · [00:14:03] – Tough Environments: Why pressure shapes leaders faster than success · [00:19:59] – Commercial vs Operations: The structural disconnect in CDMO organisations · [00:30:06] – Dual Sales Model: Pairing business and sales managers to build trust · [00:38:00] – CDMO Integration: Shifting big pharma culture into a multi-customer mindset · [00:49:07] – Next Generation: Stay curious, communicate openly, invest in people early Resources · Follow Michael Stanek on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-stanek-638b453/ · Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E32
July 6 · 46 min
Situational Leadership and Team DNA in Life Sciences Operations with Tom Hochuli
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Tom Hochuli, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Board Member at Millrock Technology. Tom Hochuli is a military-trained operator whose career spans Army platoon leadership to CEO roles in life sciences manufacturing, including at Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Lonza. In this conversation, he shares how Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) training gave him the self-confidence at the heart of his leadership philosophy. He covers situational leadership, team DNA, and why reading the room sets great leaders apart. Key Takeaways - Explore situational leadership in practice through Hochuli’s J&J experience, where two teams with different histories required entirely different approaches to change. - Apply the concept of team DNA to understand how aligning mission to the motivations of each group creates cohesion across pharmaceutical and life sciences organisations. - Learn why self-confidence is the bedrock of effective leadership, and how it enables trust, vulnerability, and decisive action in life sciences organisations. - Identify the non-negotiables of high-performance culture: mutual trust, respect, and the readiness to act when individuals undermine team cohesion. - Understand the value of leading by example, and why Hochuli’s refusal to ask his team to do what he wouldn’t do himself built lasting trust throughout his career. - Take away Hochuli’s hiring philosophy: why surrounding yourself with people talented enough to take your job is the hallmark of a self-confident leader. - Discover why military leadership isn’t about giving orders, and how Hochuli’s Army training instead taught him empathy, people development, and the value of leading from the front. - Gain practical advice for the transition from operations to CEO, including how to spot transferable skills, volunteer for stretch roles, and build a leadership team that covers your blind spots. - See how AI is changing life sciences manufacturing, and why human qualities like connection, calm judgement, and decisive thinking will matter more as technology advances. Snippets - "You have to be confident in yourself to trust. You have to be confident in yourself to be vulnerable. And that's how you build trust." - "Move obstacles for people, don't do their job... and then just sit back and be amazed at how good they are." - "What sold our business and our product was not the product, it was the people." Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: - [00:00] – Intro: Tom Hochuli’s leadership journey in life sciences - [01:30] – Key Ingredients: Self-confidence, trust and honesty - [11:34] – Tower Story: What poor leadership taught Hochuli about leading - [19:08] – Situational Leadership: Two teams, two cultures at J&J - [26:47] – Team DNA: Aligning mission to different groups - [37:47] – Hiring Philosophy: Build a team that can replace you - [40:01] – Future of Life Sciences: AI as a leadership tool Resources - Follow Tom Hochuli on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cellandgeneceo/ - Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E31
June 22 · 43 min
Why Diversity of Thinking Builds Better Oncology Teams with Yariv Hefez
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Yariv Hefez, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Business Franchise Oncology at Merck Group. Yariv built his career across three distinct fields: law, entrepreneurship and pharmaceutical leadership. He has built businesses from scratch, led turnarounds and scaled a €2 billion oncology franchise across more than 60 markets. In this conversation, Yariv shares the three ingredients he believes define strong leadership: clarity, momentum and people. He discusses hiring for diverse thinking, using co-creation to build team ownership, and why taking a role before you feel ready is the only path to real growth. Key Takeaways Learn why clarity means making decisions without complete data, and why moving forward amid uncertainty separates effective leaders from cautious ones Discover how talented teams still stall in large pharma, and why generating momentum through process-heavy environments is a core leadership responsibility Understand why Yariv Hefez deliberately recruits people who challenge his thinking, and how productive disagreement leads to better decisions than consensus-first cultures Explore why turning around a declining product is harder than launching a new one, and why approaching it with launch-level energy is the key mindset shift Identify the three building blocks of a high-performing team: trust, productive tension that encourages challenge, and a co-created vision that the whole team owns Gain practical advice on hiring for genuine diversity: recruiting people who look different but think alike produces diversity on paper only. The goal is diversity of thinking Apply Yariv’s self-direction framework to your own career, including his view that waiting until you feel 100% ready for a role means that moment will never come Take away the lesson Yariv had to unlearn early: good work does not speak for itself, and making your contribution visible is a professional skill worth developing deliberately Uncover how AI and quantum computing could reshape drug discovery, and why tomorrow’s leaders will need the confidence to use these tools and the courage to override them Snippets "The way I did it was really being very open and upfront about the fact that I don't have all the answers." "Only when you have diversity of thinking is when you have real diversity. Otherwise it's just diversity on paper." "If you are waiting to be 100% ready for a role, it's not going to happen. You are 100% ready for a role when you are in the role, not before you start the role." Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: [00:00] – Intro: Yariv's career journey from law to global oncology leadership [00:01:18] – Key Leadership Ingredients: Clarity, momentum and people [00:13:51] – Turnaround vs Launch: Why reversing a declining product demands the same energy as a new launch [00:21:41] – Team Building: Why diversity of thinking produces better decisions than demographic diversity [00:31:04] – Self-Direction: How to take career risks and stretch roles before you feel fully ready [00:33:25] – Unlearning: Why great work alone is not enough and making your impact visible matters [00:40:32] – Future Outlook: How AI and quantum computing will reshape drug discovery and life science leadership Resources Follow Yariv Hefez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yarivhefez/ Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E30
June 8 · 55 min
What It Really Takes to Build a Commercial Machine in Life Sciences with Elliott Berger
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove speaks with Elliott Berger, Executive Strategy & Marketing Advisor, Board Director at Orientation Marketing & Fractional CMO. Elliott began his career as a Management Consultant before joining Johnson & Johnson (J&J), where he worked across strategy, marketing and sales. He then spent 14 years at Catalent, helping transform a private equity-backed business into a multi-billion dollar public company. He now advises investors and senior executives across the contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO), contract research organisation (CRO) and biotech landscape. In this conversation, Elliott shares what it takes to build a commercial engine that delivers results in life sciences. He covers how to align marketing, sales and commercial operations, what makes CDMO commercial strategy different from large pharma, and how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is beginning to change the way commercial teams work. Key Takeaways - Learn why a structured commercial system matters more than individual talent, and how even skilled people will underperform without a clear framework. - Discover Elliott Berger’s three ingredients for great leadership: vision and strategy, building a strong team, and finding the right mix of delegation, attention to detail and a drive for excellence. - Understand how to spot where a commercial engine is failing to convert, whether the problem sits at the top of the funnel, during the sales process, or in onboarding and delivery.• - Explore why healthy friction between marketing and sales signals that both teams are doing their jobs, and why the absence of that friction should concern commercial leaders. - Gain practical advice for building commercial strategy in the CDMO space, where selling to pharmaceutical and biotech organisations requires a very different approach from large pharma. - Identify why senior leaders moving from large pharma to CDMO environments often struggle, and what mindset and skill shifts are needed to adapt to faster-paced, more uncertain commercial settings. - Apply lessons from Elliott’s approach to customer experience across the full client lifecycle, from the first site visit through to onboarding and ongoing delivery, and why any weak point can cost you the relationship. Snippets - "Being good or average is not good enough — you have to be excellent. Because if you're good, somebody who is excellent will eat your breakfast." - "I often think of a leader like an orchestra conductor. You've got to know where you're driving the music and who is good at doing what, where." - "You can build a commercial machine on top of good factories. You cannot easily build good factories underneath a good commercial machine." Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: - [01:14] -- Key Ingredients: Three essential traits for great leadership - [05:19] -- Career Origins: From management consulting to life sciences - [12:06] -- Leadership Realisation: When Elliott recognised he was a leader - [20:20] -- System Failures: Where most organisations break down commercially - [26:12] -- CDMO Strategy: How commercial strategy differs from large pharma - [44:06] -- AI and Commercial Teams: How AI is changing commercial strategy in life sciences Resources - Follow Elliott Berger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliott-berger/ - Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E29
May 25 · 58 min
The Leadership Shift From Scientist to CEO in Biotech With Abbie Celniker
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove speaks with Abbie Celniker, Partner at Third Rock Ventures. Abbie Celniker has spent four decades in the life sciences, from early scientific roles at Genentech to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) positions at Taliesin and 11 Biotherapeutics, and now as a partner at Third Rock Ventures, creating and developing new biotech companies. In this conversation, she shares what it means to be a biotech pioneer, why the CEO should act as an emcee (master of ceremonies), and how patient urgency shaped the first generation of company builders. She also covers investor-operator dynamics and what the next generation of leaders will need to succeed. Click or tap the play button to watch the video or tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music. Key Takeaways Learn why authenticity and trust are practical foundations of biotech leadership, not soft skills, and how they hold high-risk teams together when the science becomes uncertain. Discover how patient urgency drove the first generation of biotech builders, and what that mission-driven instinct means when creating new life science companies today. Understand the CEO-as-emcee principle: how surrounding yourself with domain experts and stepping back from the spotlight creates stronger results across every function. Explore why letting go of execution is a requirement at senior level, and how staying too close to the data holds your team and your organisation back. Gain insight into what an integrated leadership team looks like at each company stage, and how to stop internal competition from undermining collective decision-making. Identify the tension between investor and operator perspectives on boards, and why balancing those viewpoints leads to better scientific and strategic decisions. Take away practical advice for stepping into senior leadership before you have all the experience: why your executive team must act as thought partners, not simply direct reports. Snippets "All of a sudden, you don't have any real line oversight of the people who are doing the work for you. You have to lead by influence, and you need to get things done." "I want every single person I hire to know more than I do. I want them to be more expert in every area... I just want them to be superstars." "If they're constantly so out looking to grab the spotlight, they're going to potentially be missing opportunities to be motivating some of the superstars that can actually deliver the goods." Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: [00:00] – Intro: Abbie Celniker’s four-decade career across biotech and life sciences [01:30] – Active Ingredients: Authenticity, trust, and culture as leadership foundations [07:35] – Career Start: Joining Genentech in 1986 and the power of cross-functional project teams [16:38] – Biotech Pioneers: How patient urgency defined the first generation of company builders [29:09] – Letting Go: Why moving from execution to leadership is a requirement, not a choice [37:25] – CEO as Emcee: Leading through experts rather than being the expert in the room [45:41] – Boards and Investors: Navigating operator-investor tension at board level Resources Follow Abbie Celniker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbie-celniker-277a356/ Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E28
May 11 · 1 hr 5 min
Values, Courage and Transformation in Life Sciences with Paula Gildert
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Paula Gildert, Strategic Advisor & Board Member, Xyant Services. Paula Gildert is a procurement and transformation leader who has worked across AstraZeneca, Novartis and Takeda. She served as President and Chair of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) and now advises life sciences organisations on strategy and governance. Paula reveals how values, courage, and commitment fuel her leadership style. She shares frameworks for breakthrough thinking, champions speed and quality over pure cost, and vividly describes her journey from corporate executive to board advisor. Key Takeaways Experience how courage, authenticity, and commitment ignite leadership and help senior leaders build trust across the pharmaceutical landscape. See why “context is decisive” in transformation. Gildert shows how reading your team’s environment sets every strategy in motion. Unlock how breakthrough thinking turns stretch goals into tangible results by zeroing in on what’s missing and boldly making clear promises. Discover how speed and quality ignite value creation in procurement and watch cost savings flow naturally as business processes evolve. Gain practical advice on keeping teams energised during multi-year change by celebrating progress and keeping senior leadership visibly engaged. Identify how communication training gives leaders a lasting edge. Gildert explains why structured frameworks for conversations pay dividends across every setting. Explore how a Royal Marine upbringing shaped Gildert’s early leadership. She traces her resilience, her ability to hold her ground and her openness to being wrong back to her father’s influence. Sharpen your listening and curiosity as a young leader. Gildert shares how face-to-face conversations and focus groups shape strategy from the ground up. Use Gildert’s “third chapter” story as inspiration to shape your own vibrant move from executive to impactful advisory, board and voluntary roles. Snippets Business is mostly bad news with a spattering of good. If you’re in a high change environment, it’s not a balance.” “Once you work in the pharmaceutical industry, and you’re driven by a higher purpose, everything else will pale in comparison.” “Oftentimes, you have the team you need. You just haven’t rallied them around the right challenge.” Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: [00:00] – Intro: Paula Gildert’s leadership journey in the life sciences [01:37] – Key Ingredients: Values, authenticity and commitment [03:51] – Early Influences: Growing up with Royal Marine leadership [16:29] – Delivering Impact: Inspiring teams through large-scale change [23:12] – Value Creation: Why speed and quality beat cost in procurement [27:03] – Breakthrough Thinking: Turning stretch goals into real results [34:30] – Emotional Intelligence: Leading when values don’t align [46:09] – Third Chapter: Leadership beyond the corporate org chart [56:50] – Future of Life Sciences: Access, affordability and new technology Resources Follow Paula Gildert on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-gildert-547b987/• Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E27
April 27 · 44 min
Commercial Leadership In Pharma With Gaurav Jain
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Gaurav Jain, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Modavar Pharmaceuticals LLC. Gaurav Jain is a globally experienced commercial leader with over 22 years in the pharmaceutical industry. He has led business development and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) across branded generics, orphan drugs, and multinational companies in markets spanning Asia, the United States, and beyond. In this conversation, Gaurav explains how he entered the industry by chance and built his career by setting clear goals, staying adaptable, and taking on challenges beyond his experience. He also shares how pharma deal structures have shifted away from large upfront payments toward models in which both partners share risk based on a product's performance. He also discusses how senior leaders can protect their organisations from the disruption caused by rising trade barriers and global supply chain instability. Key Takeaways Learn why clear objective setting forms the foundation of effective leadership in pharmaceutical organisations, and how defining deliverables from day one gives teams direction and prevents wasted effort. Discover how Gaurav Jain's career path from banking into branded generics and M&A shows that subject matter expertise matters less than the ability to work with experts and ask the right questions. Understand how to build high-performing commercial teams by hiring for motivation and mindset rather than industry knowledge alone, and why open dialogue leads to stronger business outcomes. Explore how performance-based deal structures have replaced front-loaded payments in pharmaceutical partnerships, and why shared risk now underpins long-term commercial relationships of all sizes. Identify the steps senior leaders should take to protect their organisations from rising global trade barriers, including diversifying supply chains, monitoring P&L exposure, and engaging proactively with policymakers. Snippets "You don't need to be an expert in every space. What you need to know is how experts perform in their own space, and how to work with the experts to learn enough to work along with the greater organisation." "Even after you close the deal, it's not the end. It's kind of a beginning of another major set of challenges... You might have a great idea, but if you don't really follow up on those ideas during integration, you kind of lose value." "A lot of times I've seen industry professionals look at AI as something that can just shorten the amount of thinking they need to do. AI is not a substitute to strategy, to vision, to thinking, to a challenge." Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: [00:29] Key Ingredients: Objective setting, adaptability and strategic planning [00:31] Career Path: From banking into the pharmaceutical industry [00:47] Deal Making: What makes M&A a genuine breakthrough for an organisation [00:54] Partnership Evolution: How deal structures have shifted to performance-based models [00:59] Trade Barriers: Navigating geopolitical disruption and supply chain risk [01:07] Future of Leadership: AI, data and the next generation of life sciences leaders Resources Follow Gaurav Jain on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaurav-jain-032b9417/ ResourcesFollow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E26
April 13 · 53 min
Why systems beat metrics in life sciences with Gabriel Morelli
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Gabriel Morelli, Global Freelance Consultant, Advisor and Certified Mentor and Coach. Gabriel Morelli has spent over 25 years in life sciences, spanning generics, CDMOs, consulting and private equity-backed organisations. His career began in Montevideo, was redirected by a British Council scholarship MBA at Cranfield, and has since evolved into an independent advisory practice across the pharma value chain. In this conversation, he explains why most generics and CDMO companies chase the wrong metrics, how to assess a new role within 90 days, and why the freelance leap demands more preparation than most executives expect. Key Takeaways • Learn why integrity, curiosity and genuine interest in people are Gabriel's three non-negotiable leadership qualities, shaped across generics, CDMOs and private equity. • Discover how the systemic view of commercial excellence separates strong generics and CDMO businesses from those that optimise one element while quietly failing everywhere else. • Understand why private equity operates by different rules from corporate life, and why more than half of senior hires struggle once the armies of support are gone. • Explore Gabriel's 90-day rule for assessing whether you can succeed in a new role, and why acting on an honest answer early signals clarity rather than weakness. • Apply the planning principles behind a credible freelance advisory career: a defined niche, consulting skills and commercial fitness before leaving corporate employment. • Gain a clearer view of idea diversity and why teams built around genuine intellectual friction produce stronger outcomes than diversity defined by demographics alone. • Identify why the value most senior executives believe they carry is tied to their company and title, and why most discover this too late to act. • Uncover how Gabriel grew from 5,000 to 22,000 LinkedIn followers through daily publishing, and why a consistent point of view wins more advisory work than any CV. • Take away why adaptability will define the next generation of life science leaders as geopolitics, technology and talent continue to accelerate. Snippets • “The moment you feel that you will not be successful, just push the eject button, disappear, and, focus on something else.” • “It doesn’t really matter if you do something great downstream. If upstream, you’re doing everything wrong… it’s better to do everything average than to be great at KPIs.” • “I’m not so fixated on the diversity, equity and inclusion… To me, what is important is, is ideas… You want people with different ideas with some tensions, some friction, but it needs to be operational.” Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: • [00:00] –– Intro: Gabriel Morelli’s career across generics, CDMOs, consulting and private equity • [04:14] –– Career Origins: From Montevideo to Cranfield and the MBA that led to life sciences • [18:47] –– Commercial Strategy: The systemic gap in commercial excellence across generics and CDMOs • [21:59] –– Private Equity: Cash discipline, no place to hide, and why most corporate hires struggle • [29:20] –– Quit Fast: The 90-day rule and why staying for appearances is the wrong move • [35:29] –– Second Wave: Defining a niche and why LinkedIn replaces traditional business development Resources • Follow Gabriel Morelli on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morelligabriel/ • Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E25
March 30 · 57 min
From Site Head to Global Leader in Pharma Manufacturing With Laura O'Brien
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Laura O'Brien, Global Operations and Quality Executive. Laura O'Brien is one of the most experienced operations and quality leaders in pharma manufacturing, having held VP and SVP roles at Sanofi, Novartis and CSL across four site head roles in the UK and beyond. In this conversation, she shares what it means to be the first female leader on a manufacturing site, how to build and retain world-class teams, and why shifting from direct control to influence is a defining challenge for global pharma leaders. Key Takeaways • Learn why Laura O'Brien's three leadership ingredients (authentic, bold, and connected) are daily disciplines tested by the pressures of senior pharma leadership, not abstract values on a wall. • Discover how mentors become sponsors, and why the most career-defining moments come from being placed in roles you never felt ready for. • Understand why the site head role is the single most important step in a manufacturing leader's career, blending total site accountability with board-level visibility. • Explore how to make the shift from direct control at site level to leading by influence across a global network of pharma manufacturing sites. • Apply Laura's hiring framework: going beyond competency-based interviews to find candidates who will genuinely transform the organisation at this specific point in time. • Gain a new perspective on the number one team concept, and why your strongest professional loyalty should sit with your peer group rather than the team you directly manage. • Uncover what walking the talk really demands from a senior leader, and why authentic role modelling is the only reliable way to build lasting organisational alignment. • Take away Laura's advice on balancing a demanding pharma career with family life, and why trading off rather than trying to do everything perfectly is the smarter long-term strategy. • Identify the difference between a mentor and a sponsor, and why true sponsorship means advocating for someone at board level, not just offering guidance. Snippets • "People will not align behind you if they don't see that you believe in it and [that] you're engaged in it too." • "Don't try to be perfect. In my view, it's impossible if you really want to do all of these things really well. So trade off one against the other at different times." • "Surround yourself with the best people... what I'm really looking for is: is this person going to transform the organisation in the way it needs to be transformed at this point in time?" Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: • [05:20] -- Intro: Laura O'Brien's background in global pharma operations and quality • [06:48] -- Active Ingredients: Authentic, bold, and connected as the pillars of leadership • [10:24] -- Career Origins: From pharmacy school to a purposeful industrial pharma career • [17:20] -- Site Head: The role that shaped Laura's leadership, including being the first female site head • [26:16] -- Team Building: Hiring for transformation, not just competency • [38:33] -- Global Leadership: Shifting from direct control to influence across a network • [57:54] -- Future of Pharma: AI, patients, and the leadership qualities that will always matter Resources • Follow Laura O'Brien on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-o-brien-4556557/ Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E24
March 16 · 56 min
Building Trust Across Cultures In Biotech With Alexandre Joyeux
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove speaks with Alexandre Joyeux, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and President of FatiAbGen International GmbH. Alexandre Joyeux has led global patient access and market access functions at Novartis and Merck KGaA, shaped a $9 billion gene therapy acquisition, and built biotech organisations with Korean and Asian partners. In this conversation, he shares how he first learned to lead without formal authority, what it took to step into an interim franchise head role during a blockbuster drug launch, and why he treats patience as a strategic asset when working across cultures. He also offers practical advice on building high-performance teams, career reinvention, and what will separate the best leaders as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the workplace. Key Takeaways · Learn how trust, curiosity and purpose combine to form a leadership flywheel, and why inspiring others starts with building bridges, not issuing directives. · Discover how to lead without formal authority by bringing the right external voices into the room to shift perspectives that no internal voice could move. · Understand what it takes to step fully into an interim role from day one, and why the mental switch matters more than the job title. · Explore the structured feedback sessions that accelerate trust between new leaders and their teams, and why acting on the outcomes matters as much as receiving them. · Gain practical advice on building high-performance teams in life sciences, including why a shared vision and a can-do attitude often matter more than the perfect CV. · Apply the principle of patience as a strategic asset when working across Asian cultures, where investing in relationships before business is a prerequisite, not a courtesy. · Identify when the moment to reinvent your career has arrived, and how to use purposeful networking to move from large pharma into biotech building. · Take away a simple principle for cross-cultural working: focus on what unites people first, and differences become far easier to address. · Consider what will separate the best leaders as AI reshapes the workplace, and why Joyeux believes human qualities such as empathy, intuition and curiosity will matter more, not less. Snippets · "It's in your head. It all starts in your head. Right? So if you're all in, then things will flow from that." · "I thought, if I don't have authority, who does? And it's the customer in the end." · "Self-awareness sometimes is difficult to have on your own without the feedback and without having a mirror once in a while." Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: · [00:27:52] – Intro: Alexandre Joyeux’s career in global biotech and market access · [00:28:36] – Key Ingredients: Trust, curiosity and purpose as leadership foundations · [00:31:19] – Early Career: From rural Quebec to biotech via a borrowed conference fee · [00:37:50] – First Leadership Moment: Influencing without authority at Merck KGaA · [00:44:39] – Enterprise Leadership: Stepping into the Novartis neuroscience franchise head role · [01:04:48] – Career Reinvention: Moving from big pharma to building biotech · [01:11:44] – Cross-Cultural Leadership: Building trust with Korean and Asian partners · [01:18:23] – Future Trends: AI, pricing pressure and the next generation of life sciences leaders Resources · Follow Alexandre Joyeux on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajoyeux/ · Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E23
March 2 · 58 min
Leading With Learning and Resilience With Aditi Singh Ulvskjold
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove speaks with Aditi Singh Ulvskjold, Vice President, Global Marketing & Urology at Ambu A/S. Aditi Singh Ulvskjold is a commercial and transformation leader across pharmaceutical and medical device organisations. From dental surgeon to global marketing executive, she has navigated growth, entrepreneurship and reinvention. She discusses learning, resilience and humility as active ingredients of modern leadership. She shares lessons from founding and closing her own venture, moving from clinical to commercial roles, and adapting to change in life sciences. Key Takeaways Learn why continuous learning helps leaders stay relevant as they move between therapeutic areas and challenges. Understand how resilience means dancing as tectonic plates move, maintaining clarity whilst leading through disruption. Discover why humility empowers leadership by creating psychological safety for pharmaceutical teams to perform. Explore how early mentorship shapes career trajectories, building empathy and purpose for executive roles. Apply lessons from entrepreneurship to corporate leadership, including end-to-end thinking and trusted networks. Identify how the three Ps framework creates scalable systems that align purpose, people and performance. Examine how artificial intelligence and consumer-centricity are reshaping the life sciences, and what leaders must do. Snippets “The currency that human beings trade in is trust. If you fail in that currency, you can forget about the rest of the things." “It's not about the process… It's actually about how we clarified the purpose. And then you get the people, and the multiplication of it will give you the performance." "You're the guy who's mopping the floor, but you're on the team that's building that rocket ship to the moon. Just remember that." Timestamps [00:19:40] – Intro: Leadership journey [00:21:06] – Key Ingredients: Learning, resilience, humility [00:30:09] – Educational Foundation: Early exposure [00:36:18] – Career Pivot: Surgery to pharma [00:48:31] – Strategic Clarity: Driving business forward [00:53:04] – Entrepreneurial Journey: Founding and closing [01:02:22] – Three Ps: Purpose, people, performance [01:12:04] – Future Leadership: Evolving attributes [01:13:59] – Future Life Sciences: AI and consumers Resources Follow Aditi Singh Ulvskjold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aditiulvskjold/ Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E22
February 16 · 1 hr 4 min
Strategy Meets Reality in Pharma Manufacturing Transformation with Karsten Pietron-Kattmann
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Karsten Pietron-Kattmann, Strategic Advisor at k2pharmaCon. Karsten Pietron-Kattmann has spent his career leading operational transformation at major pharmaceutical companies including Novartis, GSK, Bayer, and BioNTech, where he played a key role during the Covid vaccine response. In this conversation, he shares his framework for aligning strategy, culture, and organisation during transformation. He explains how pharmaceutical leaders can drive change by focusing on what teams can control, tailoring communication to different audiences, and building trust that survives uncertainty. From leading through the Covid vaccine response to managing site divestments during lockdown, Karsten reveals what transformation looks like when strategy meets operational reality. Key Takeaways Understand the magic triangle framework that connects strategy, culture, and organisation in pharmaceutical transformation, and why changes fail when leaders underestimate how disruption in one area affects the others. Learn why authenticity forms the foundation of effective leadership in pharmaceutical and biotech organisations, and how trying to be someone else erodes team trust and credibility. Discover how trust operates across three levels in life sciences companies: trusting your employees, trusting your own capabilities, and trusting your organisation to navigate complexity. Understand how early career experiences shape leadership approaches. Karsten Pietron-Kattmann’s path from lab technician to executive taught him empathy for frontline teams and the value of hands-on operational understanding. Explore how collaboration solves problems that individual teams cannot address alone, and why successful leaders look beyond their immediate resources to find solutions across organisations. Gain practical insight into leading global teams across different cultures and accepting that multiple pathways can reach the same goal, even when they differ from your preferred approach. Apply lessons about balancing technology adoption with human-centered leadership as artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics reshape how life sciences organisations operate and make decisions. Snippets “Self-confidence without reflection is not such a sharp knife." "The worst you can do to teams is to take away the purpose of their work and the purpose of their day-to-day efforts. You will have a break of loyalty and integrity in your team." "If you spent most of the time making slides for the review, you will not focus on delivering on the clean room wall, on the HVAC system, on the process machinery." Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: [21:23] – Intro: Karsten Pietron-Kattmann's leadership journey in biopharma [23:37] – Key Ingredients: Authenticity, trust, curiosity in pharma leadership [26:29] – Career Path: From lab technician to pharmaceutical executive roles [29:31] – Mentorship: Early influences shaping collaboration and problem solving [77:27] – Cultural Leadership: Managing global teams across different methodologies [79:31] – Industry Outlook: Modular manufacturing and AI in life sciences [82:07] – Future Leaders: Embracing diversity and technology in biopharma teams Resources Follow Karsten Pietron-Kattmann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karsten-pietron-kattmann-7300ba24/ Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Amazon⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠ and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E21
February 2 · 54 min
Trust, Vision, and Human-Centred Leadership With Thomas Jaecklin
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Thomas Jaecklin, Chief Medical Officer and Strategic Pharma Consultant at TJ Pharma Consulting. Thomas shares his journey from paediatric intensive care physician to C-suite executive, revealing how clinical precision and human-focused leadership create sustainable success in biotech and pharma. The conversation explores trust building, team dynamics, leadership transitions during company maturation phases, and how globalisation is reshaping pharmaceutical leadership. Key Takeaways Learn how generating trust serves as the foundation for effective leadership, creating environments where teams communicate early warnings and innovate freely. Discover why vision requires constant communication, as leaders must continuously refocus teams, investors, and partners toward shared goals through repetitive messaging. Understand how self-awareness drives leadership development, particularly how doubting yourself can become a strength when it helps identify your own blind spots. Explore complexity differences between hospital and pharma leadership, where drug development requires integrating diverse mindsets from commercial, regulatory, safety, and scientific teams. Take away frameworks for recognizing leadership expiry dates during transitions, especially when projects move from research to clinical development or development to commercialization. Gain insights into building teams using the bicycle wheel analogy, where elements like psychological safety and integrity must be strengthened iteratively rather than focusing on single aspects. Apply hiring strategies that prioritize belief over checkbox qualifications, understanding how playing into strengths creates more energised teams than forcing fit against rigid job descriptions. Snippets "Building high performing teams is like building a bicycle wheel… You can't go and connect the hub to the rim and tension that first spoke to the desired tension…, ignoring all the other spokes…" “I'd rather play into someone's strengths and try and fill the gaps that this person leaves open…, because that person will be much more motivated, will be much more energised, fulfilled…” “It's not the computers or the machines that we buy that make the great work. It's the people that operate those computers and machines…. So why are we treating people so badly?” Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: 00:20:44 - Three Key Ingredients: Trust, vision, and constant communication as leadership foundations 00:28:24 -- Transition to Industry: Moving from academic medicine to pharma's collaborative research environment 00:32:04 - Becoming a Leader: Recognizing impact through team feedback and psychological safety 00:36:19 - Hospital vs. Pharma: Understanding complexity and diverse team mindsets 00:44:19 - Leadership Expiry Dates: Navigating transitions from research to development to commercialisation 00:54:12 - Building High-Performing Teams: The bicycle wheel framework for iterative trust building 01:04:23 - China's Innovation Challenge: How rapid development is reshaping global Pharma Resources Follow Thomas Jaecklin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-jaecklin/ Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Spotify, YouTube and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E18
January 19 · 50 min
Building Patient-Focused Teams with Nageatte Ibrahim
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Nageatte Ibrahim, CEO and Founder of Arc Nouvel Clinical Development Consulting LLC. Ibrahim’s journey spans board-certified medical oncologyist, leadership of oncology trials at Merck, Chief Medical Officer at Arc Nouvel Clinical Development Consulting LLC, and now clinical development consultant for early- and mid-sized biotechs. This episode explores her evolution from hands-on patient care to executive leadership, focusing on the critical balance between clinical excellence and commercial viability. Her insights on building inclusive teams, leading through uncertainty, and maintaining patient focus while scaling biotech organisations offer practical guidance for life sciences executives navigating the modern-day pharmaceutical landscape. Key Takeaways • Learn how caring for people forms the foundation of leadership, recognising that, as a leader, you’re entrusted with the careers and futures of others in pharmaceutical and biotech organisations. • Discover the power of clear focus and realistic goals to align teams behind a shared mission, preventing the chaos that emerges when people move in different directions without understanding their roles. • Understand the critical distinction between leading and bringing people along, as Ibrahim explains how great leaders avoid leaving team members behind while pursuing business objectives. • Explore how early mentorship shapes career trajectories through Ibrahim’s experience with hands-on tumor sample research as an undergraduate, demonstrating the lasting impact of invested leadership on emerging talent. • Take away strategies for growing the next generation of leadership by serving as a model for inclusive, mission-focused team building that develops future pharmal executives. • Gain insights into leading virtual teams in life sciences, including the essential practice of one-on-one conversations to read what body language and facial expressions cannot reveal on screen. • Apply frameworks for transitioning between large pharma and biotech environments, understanding when each setting serves different purposes in executive career development and organisational impact. Snippets • “If you don't feel nervous about a new opportunity, then you're not really taking on something that's upward growth for you.” • “You can't plan everything…You have to leave room for the unexpected, which sometimes can turn out to surprise you in great ways.” • “A lot of focus sometimes is on recruiting the talent. I think the harder part is retaining the talent. And that's where I see not enough investment is made." Timestamps & Topics • 00:14:27 - Three Active Ingredients: People, focus, and bringing everyone along on the leadership journey • 00:17:57 - Early Formation: From first-grade aspiration to molecular biology research with patient tumour samples • 00:22:00 - University Mentorship: The formative impact of Dr. Eric Rubin’s laboratory on career trajectory • 00:38:15 - Clinical to Commercial: Transitioning from oncology practice to pharmaceutical leadership at Merck • 00:45:30 - Leading with Purpose in Biotech: From Oncology Ward to Clinical Consulting with Dr. Nageatte Ibrahim Resources • Follow Dr. Nageatte Ibrahim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nageatte-ibrahim-m-d-56882b8/ • Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don’t Miss an Episode Join the Active Ingredients podcast community at https://activeingredients.fraserdove.com to receive new episodes delivered the day they drop, invitation to Active Ingredients Live events and more. Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!
S1 · E18
January 5 · 1 hr
Leading Pharmaceutical Operations From The Ground Up With Jeff Rope
In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Jeff Rope, a pharmaceutical operations executive with four decades of experience in technical operations, supply chain leadership, and acquisition integration. Jeff's journey from aspiring veterinarian to leading global operations shows how failure and rural values shape strong leadership. His experience building teams, coaching systems, and working through the changing generics landscape offers insights for executives. The conversation explores authenticity, site management experience, and staying flexible during industry changes. Key Takeaways • Learn how being authentic makes you a better leader after years of trying to copy others, focusing on being yourself in pharmaceutical leadership. • Discover why integrity stays important in life sciences operations, recognizing that practicing integrity consistently across complex manufacturing requires effort and courage. • Understand how rural farming experiences carry over into operational leadership, including solving problems independently, supporting your community, and staying disciplined. • Explore why the Site Manager role gives the best leadership training, sitting at the intersection of all functions and requiring mastery of compliance, medical, finance, and operations. • Take away the principle of coaching systems rather than individuals, recognizing that long-term change requires fixing structural issues not personal development. • Gain insights into balancing technical skills with people leadership, with Jeff noting few people move from shop floor to senior positions without developing people skills. • Apply methods for staying flexible in pharmaceutical operations, as the generics industry faces patent cliffs, biosimilar complexity, and therapies like GLP-1 creating market changes. • Uncover how continuous learning and effort stay required, with Jeff stressing that applying yourself fully builds the foundation for career success. • Identify important leadership qualities needed during uncertainty, including making strategic choices with incomplete information while keeping flexibility to manage mistakes. Snippets • "Whenever you do something, you have to apply yourself. You have to learn. You have to put time and effort. And it's not enough to think things come naturally to you." • "The Site Manager job was the best job I've ever had. Take two funnels at the pointy end and put them together. The site manager sits right in the joint." • "Very few people make it from the shop floor to senior roles. You're on that journey because there's something about what you've done or accomplished to date that's working." Timestamps & Topics • 00:23:22 -- Introduction: Jeff Rope's journey from New Zealand to global pharmaceutical leadership • 00:24:39 -- Three Active Ingredients: Being authentic, having integrity, treating people with respect • 00:26:25 -- Early Formation: Rural farming values and path from veterinarian to pharmaceutical operations • 00:30:18 -- The Chemistry Pivot: How a failed school exam started a lifetime of learning • 00:45:30 -- Site Management Excellence: Why this role provides the best leadership development • 01:02:15 -- Coaching Systems vs Individuals: Building long-term organizational change • 01:15:36 -- Industry Evolution: Generics changes, GLP-1 impact, leading through industry shifts Resources • Follow Jeff Rope on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-rope-345b84197/ • Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ Don't Miss an Episode Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family or your peers!

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