In this episode, I talked with Sofia Heigis, Chief Executive Officer of OncoPeptides, about a career path that did not start where she expected. Sofia originally wanted to move into clinical operations, but her first role in pharma ended up being in sales — a move that shaped everything that came after it. We talk about why early career detours can matter more than people think, what tough roles teach you about value and resilience, and why some of the best foundations are built in jobs people do not initially want.

Sofia also opens up about the more personal side of leadership: raising three children while building a senior career, dealing with the guilt that can come with travel and time away, and learning how to be fully present instead of constantly split between work and home. We also get into OncoPeptides’ journey through a difficult period, why she stepped into the CEO role internally, how she thinks about culture and hiring, what is next for the business in Europe and glioblastoma, and the reality of board roles and strategic decision-making. Toward the end, we also touch on more personal quick-fire reflections, including what she is most grateful for and the soft skill she most wants her children to develop.

Here’s What You’re In For

• What “being present” really looks like at work and at home
• Why self-insight matters more than polished interview answers
• How she thinks about board roles, contribution, and strategic fit

Timestamps

02:59 – How Sofia got her first pharma role after aiming for clinical operations

05:03 – Why she believes sales can be one of the best starts in pharma

07:38 – Career, motherhood, and the myth that you have to choose one

11:30 – Dealing with guilt, travel, and being away from family

13:47 – What OncoPeptides does and why its peptide drug conjugates stand out

15:44 – Why she stepped into the CEO role and what she wanted to stabilize

19:28 – The culture she wants at OncoPeptides and how she hires for it

24:42 – What 2026 and 2027 look like for OncoPeptides across Europe, glioblastoma, and Japan

28:42 – What a board really does and how people can position themselves for board roles

37:43 – What she is most grateful for and the soft skill she wants her children to develop

About Sofia

Sofia Heigis is the Chief Executive Officer of Oncopeptides, a Swedish biotech listed on Nasdaq Stockholm that focuses on targeted therapies for difficult-to-treat cancers. Sofia started her career at Astrazeneca, first as a Sales Rep in 2006, then into Clinical Operations, then Medical Affairs and then eventually into VP positive leading the Medical and Regulatory teams across the entire Nordic + Baltic regions.

And similarly at Onco she joined to lead their Global Medical Affairs and then moved into CCO and GM positions and now the CEO. Outside of this she is a mother of 3, and loves nature.

Connect with Sofia:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-heigis-%E2%99%A6%EF%B8%8F-00b9205/
• Website: https://oncopeptides.com/en/

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment, I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch my firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/
• Website: https://www.discera-search.com/

Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.

In this episode, I talked with Hubert Truebel, Managing Director at DEBRA Research, to discover a career that wasn’t built traditionally—but through creating opportunities where none formally existed.

Hubert shares how his journey started as a physician in intensive care, before a simple conversation over dinner—pitching a research idea—turned into his first step into pharma. What stands out isn’t just the transition, but the mindset behind it: creating the conditions for “serendipity” to happen. We go through the key moments in his career, from leading translational work at Bayer to stepping into smaller biotech environments, and how each shift required a completely different way of thinking and operating.

We also explore his current role at DEBRA Research, where he now connects patients, biotech, and pharma to move treatments forward in rare diseases—often bringing together groups that wouldn’t naturally collaborate. And in the latter part, we talked about his book on longevity, where Hubert challenges the industry around supplements, breaks down what actually drives healthspan, and explains why most people focus on the wrong things when trying to live longer, healthier lives.

(Find out more in the episode.)

Here’s What You’re In For

• How a simple conversation led to his first role in pharma
• The hidden complexity of bringing a drug from idea to market
• How to think about longevity using an “investment” mindset

Timestamps

02:45 – How a Dinner Conversation Led to His First Pharma Role

06:27 – What “Serendipity” Really Means in a Career

07:41 – The Emotional Turning Point in Pediatric Intensive Care

10:08 – What DEBRA Research Does Differently in Drug Development

13:52 – Moving from Big Pharma to Biotech: What Actually Changes

15:46 – Acting as the Connector Between Patients, Biotech, and Pharma

19:29 – Why He Wrote a Book on Longevity

21:00 – The Reality About Supplements: “Almost Zero Data”

22:00 – The 10-Year Healthspan Loss Most People Ignore

24:00 – Why Exercise Outperforms Medication in Longevity

About Hubert

Hubert Truebel has built his career across medicine, pharma, and biotech. After starting as a physician in intensive care, he spent nearly 15 years at Bayer, ultimately as SVP Translational Medicine, working on major drug programs and clinical trials. He later moved into biotech as CMO at AiCuris, helping advance Pritelivir through late-stage development, shortly before the company was acquired for just under $1 billion.

Today, Hubert works with DEBRA Research, focusing on ultra-rare skin diseases like epidermolysis bullosa through a patient-driven drug development model. Alongside this, he is a strong advocate for health and longevity, and recently published his book “Longevity – Die Anti-Bullshit-Formel.”

Connect with Hubert:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hubert-truebel/
• Website: https://www.debra-research.org/

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment, I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch my firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/
• Website: https://www.discera-search.com/

Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.