In this episode, I talked with Dr. Kevin Heller, former biotech CMO and now advisor to VCs and funds, who’s built his career at the intersection of science, leadership, and investment. Kevin started out as a pediatric hematologist–oncologist before joining BMS, where he worked on one of the first checkpoint inhibitor programs. Since then, he’s held senior roles across biotech and now works closely with companies and investors on strategy.

Kevin opened up about the habits that nearly held him back early in his career, how a colleague’s honest feedback changed the way he leads, and why the quiet moments in meetings often say more about culture than the loud ones.

He also shared about today’s funding climate—why raising money feels tougher than ever, what investors really look for, and why every company needs a clear plan for when things don’t go as expected. And outside of biotech, Kevin’s focus is on mentoring the next generation of scientists through the Society for Science, an organization he’s been deeply involved with for years.

Here’s What You’re In For

• The subtle warning signs of a weak culture (and why silence is the biggest one)
• The kind of questions investors ask now that many companies aren’t ready for
• How mentoring young scientists through the Society for Science has become Kevin’s way of giving back

Timestamps

00:58 – How Kevin moved from academia into industry

06:00 – The colleague who bluntly told him to be quiet

10:20 – What Kevin has seen change in biotech fundraising over the past few years

12:34 – The advice he gives to early-stage companies heading into investor meetings

16:15 – What most outsiders don’t realize about being on the investment side

17:54 – What “culture” actually means to him, and why bad leadership kills it

20:14 – The subtle early signs of a broken culture: silence in meetings

26:48 – Kevin’s involvement with the Society for Science and mentoring future scientists

About Kevin

Kevin Heller is a former biotech CMO and a current advisor to funds and VCs. He serves as Investment Team Advisor at an equity fund investing in biotech. He is a Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist, and began his career at BMS where he contributed to the development of YUR-VOY.

He has held CMO roles at several biotech companies, worked on numerous early-stage programs (including at Incyte), and continues to influence the field through his advisory roles.

Kevin serves as a mentor, judge, and council member of Society for Science, a nonprofit that promotes science literacy and runs major student science fairs worldwide, in his way of giving back to the mentors who guided him early in his career. For him, it’s about inspiring the next generation to see science as something they can own and shape.

Connect with Kevin:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-n-heller-8bbb985/
• Society for Science:https://www.societyforscience.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

In this episode, I talked with Dr. Carl Deutsch, Chief Scientific Officer at NBE Therapeutics, where he shared about his path from chemistry into pharma and the lessons he’s learned along the way. Carl recalls how difficult it was to secure his first role when jobs were scarce, the pressure of multiple interview rounds, and how a non-linear career path led to both opportunities and doubts about fitting the expected mold.

He discussed the differences between biotech and big pharma cultures, what it means to lead in a “cultural sandwich” role, and why accountability and agility look different depending on the environment. Carl also spoke about age bias in hiring, the importance of curiosity during interviews, and the kind of toxic hiring process that made him withdraw his application early in his career.

He explained why he looks for “band members” instead of “rock stars” when building teams, how character matters more than buzzwords or tick-box credentials, and why blinded CVs often miss the real story behind a candidate. And, in a lighter moment, Carl answered a series of quick-fire questions—from his habit of quoting movies, to the kinds of conversations he avoids, to the advice he’d give to someone starting out in the industry.

Here’s What You’re In For

• The benefits and challenges of a non-linear career path
• Why networking often matters more than a “tick-box” CV
• Why blinded CVs fail to capture the real story behind a candidate

Timestamps

02:20 – Scarcity and the First Job Hunt

05:10 – Non-Linear Careers and Self-Doubt

07:00 – The CV Tick-Box Trap

14:00 – Leading in a Cultural Sandwich

17:00 – What Biotech Culture Really Means

20:00 – Hiring for Accountability and Fit

23:00 – Age Bias in Pharma Hiring

30:00 – Band Members vs Rock Stars in Building a Team

32:00 – Why Blinded CVs Miss the Story

33:30 – Quick-Fire: Movie Quotes, Habits, and Career Advice

About Carl

Dr. Carl Deutsch, Chief Scientific Officer at NBE Therapeutics. A chemist by training, Carl earned his PhD in Dortmund, Germany, and went on to broaden his scientific horizons in the U.S. and Japan. He later added a business edge to his profile with an MBA from Mannheim Business School and ESSEC Paris.

Carl played a key role in the development of Mercks first in-house antibody-drug conjugate, M9140, and also helped drive innovation as an intrapreneur, launching an award-winning project under Merck Life Science. Since 2022, he has been leading scientific strategy at NBE Therapeutics.

Outside the lab, Carl has a creative side, he once took the stage as a member of an acting group and joining wild podcasts like mine.

Connect with Carl:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-deutsch-phd-mba-82ba28168/
• NBE Therapeutics: https://nbe-therapeutics.com/

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:

In this episode, I talked with Dr. Aleksandra Filipovic, CMO at Gallop Oncology, a biotech developing first-in-class galectin-9 antibodies for solid tumors and blood cancers. We talked about how perfectionism shaped her early leadership, and what it took to undo it. She shared her take on hiring by “gut feel,” why that can quietly reinforce bias, and what she looks for instead.

Aleksandra also opened up about her childhood—growing up with two cancer-researcher parents, skipping school to attend medical conferences—and how that path eventually led her to leave Serbia with a six-month visa and no real plan. That risk turned into a 20-year career in the UK, and a leadership journey she never could have mapped out.

She once brought a pipette to school for show and tell. These days, she reads nervous systems before resumes, believes leadership is about repair—not perfection—and says her job is to “love a drug into existence.”

Later this year, Aleksandra will be leading a workshop at the Society of Integrative Oncology Annual Meeting in Boston on October 27, 2025, alongside her colleagues Dr. Anna Yusim and Dr. Steve Bierman. The session, “Creating a New Kind of Intelligence in Oncology Practice” will explore neuro-somatic intelligence, noetic medicine, and mental health in oncology and biotech. CME credits and a full training curriculum will be provided. More information below.

Here’s what you’re in for:

• Why she’s grateful her career didn’t go according to plan
• Why hiring based on “gut feeling” can lead to prejudice if you’re not careful
• How perfectionism quietly seeps into leadership

Timestamps:

02:00 Childhood in a Cancer-Obsessed Family

06:30 Why She Left Serbia With No Job and No Plan

09:00 When Your Career Goes “Wrong”, and It’s the Best Thing That Happens

16:45 Interview Advice: “Don’t Perform—Be Honest”

21:30 What Falls Apart When Hiring Goes Wrong

23:30 The Danger of “Gut Feel” in Leadership Hiring

33:00 What It Feels Like When Your Childhood Perfectionism Takes Over at Work

36:00 How She Regulates Herself as a Leader—and Teaches Her Team To Do the Same

39:00 The Workshop: Neurosomatic Tools for Oncology Professionals

About Aleksandra:

Dr. Aleksandra Filipovic is the Chief Medical Officer at Gallop Oncology, where she leads oncology asset sourcing and preclinical to clinical development strategy. With a background as a clinical oncologist and a PhD in Cancer cell biology its safe to say she knows a lot about this area.

Prior to joining Gallop, Aleks still acts as the head of oncology for PureTech health and prior to this she was with BMS and also consulted for Astrazeneca. She is a practicing clinician from Imperial College London, sits on the board of a global oncology educational platform sharing progress in cancer care and hosts a podcast “Into the Body” with Dr. Alex for OncoDaily. She practices applied neuro-somatic-intelligence with cancer patients and applies these same principles in biotech leadership.

Connect with Aleksandra:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandra-filipovic-md-ph-d-0b63441b/

From Our Guest — Upcoming Workshop for Oncology Professionals

Are you in the oncology field, feeling the weight of burnout and seeking ways to enhance your patient care within the limited time you have in clinic? Reconnect to the core of your work with our upcoming workshop.

Join Dr. Anna Yusim, @SteveBierman from Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, and myself for an impactful session in Boston on October 27th from 8-9:45AM. This workshop is a part of the Society for Integrative Oncology...

In this episode, I talked with Heidi Wang, CEO of OBI Pharma and Chair of OBIGEN, who shares her powerful story, from losing her father to cancer while raising two children, to leading oncology drug approvals at BMS, and now, building out a bold ADC pipeline in biotech.

Heidi opens up about the pressures of leading during personal tragedy, how BMS supported her through it, and why she now builds teams around values like authenticity and innovation. This episode is equal parts personal and professional, offering rare insight into what true leadership looks like, especially in biotech.

Here’s what you’re in for:

• Why staying at BMS for 30 years wasn’t planned
• A behind-the-scenes look at OBI’s antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform
• What authenticity looks like in interviews (with stories from Stanford PhDs to Shanghai branding workshops)

TMI Segment:

• Coffee intake? Hint: Usual number for a regular coffee drinker
• Hidden gem in Taiwan? Hint: You see it every day, do not think too much.
• Favorite book? Hint: It has something to do with “Hidden”
• Most grateful for? Hint: POV of a good leader
• Can’t guess the answer? Listen to the episode to find out.

Timestamps:

01:56 – How Losing Her Father to Cancer Shaped Her Life's Work

04:53 – “It Was Only Chemotherapy Back Then”—Facing the Limits of Treatment

06:34 – What 10,000 Stomach Cancer Patients Meant to Her

08:45 – Would She Have Quit BMS If They Didn’t Support Her?

10:21 – Why She Joined OBI and Her Vision for ADC Innovation

13:34 – What She Really Looks For When Hiring

15:34 – The Arrogance Trap in Interviews

17:16 – Humility vs. Branding: Hiring Across US and Asian Cultures

20:20 – The Worst Outcome of Rushed Hiring

22:50 – When You Don’t Need a Hire

25:40 – Quickfire Questions

About Heidi

Dr. Heidi Wang is the CEO of O-B-I Pharma and Chairman of OBIGen, a biotech specializing in oncology. With nearly 30 years of experience in drug development and regulatory affairs, Heidi has led approvals for immuno-oncology and antiviral drugs globally. O-B-I Pharma has a unique pipeline of ADCs and cancer immunotherapies of which we will learn during the episode.

She holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology and completed postdoctoral training in cancer biology. She also mentors and teaches extensively - rarely accepting payment personally and always donating to charity instead, love that. She has kindly donated her time here, welcome. ​

Connect with Heidi:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiwang/
• OBI Pharma: https://www.obipharma.com/
• OBIGEN: https://www.obigenpharma.com/

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:

In this episode, I talked with Dr. András Strassz, Chief Medical Officer at Heidelberg Pharma, to hear about his two decades of leadership in oncology drug development—and the often-overlooked realities behind building teams, designing clinical trials, and making biotech work.

András opens up about key moments in his career, including the personal crisis that almost forced him to leave the industry, the turning point when he stepped into his CMO role, and what it really takes to develop first-in-class ADCs with novel payloads.

We also dive deep into industry-wide mistakes—why promising clinical programs still fail because of poor design, how pressure and under-resourcing distort decision-making, and why senior leadership continues to overlook culture fit when hiring.

András also shares behind-the-scenes insights into Heidelberg’s development of amanitin-based ADCs, what makes their team culture unique, and why “good enough” just isn’t good enough when you’re trying to build something from scratch.

(Find out more in the episode.)

Here’s What You’re In For

• Why culture alignment should outweigh credentials when building teams
• How to spot red flags in hiring—even before the offer stage
• What good leadership looks like in biotech—and what it never forgets

Timestamps

02:18 – Why he left clinical practice and how he got his first pharma job at J&J

05:38 – Career highlights: relocating from Hungary and becoming CMO

09:09 – Career low point: near job loss during relocation and how he handled it

11:01 – Burnout in his first role and the health consequences of overwork

13:38 – Overview of Heidelberg Pharma’s ADC platform

15:58 – What defines the people and culture at Heidelberg

18:51 – Biggest industry mistakes: bad study design, rushed decisions, outdated models

26:00 – Hiring reflections: CV vs culture fit, and how interviews often mislead

About András

Dr. András Strassz is the Chief Medical Officer of Heidelberg Pharma, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for targeted cancer treatment. András specializes in early clinical development, focusing on oncology and hematological oncology. He has experience working in both Big Pharma, namely JnJ, Amgen, Novartis, and Biotechs - Polyphor, Affimed, and his current company, Heidelberg Pharma across three countries: Hungary, Germany, and Switzerland.

Outside his professional stint, his hobbies are DIY, hiking, and cooking. We have know each other for a while now, always appreciated András honesty, humour and insights and he is here to join me today - welcome.

Connect with András

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/András-strassz-md-mba-a03a1147/
• Heidelberg Pharma: https://heidelberg-pharma.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:

In this episode, I talked with Dr. Steven Katz, CMO and SVP of Translational Science for Shinobi Therapeutics, a biotech company pioneering off-the-shelf immune-evasive IPSC-derived cell therapies, and Professor of Surgery at Brown University. We get into why technical skills alone won’t cut it—and how the wrong hire, even if they look great on paper, can quietly derail an entire team. We talk about the pressure to stick with “proven” endpoints (even when they don’t fit the science), the temptation to play it safe, and how a quiet sense of nihilism can creep into teams when things aren’t going right. We also dig into what it’s really like managing a global biotech team, and how to make it work without losing your mind.

Steven is a trained surgical oncologist and associate professor at Brown University, Steven has spent his career helping patients with solid tumors—from removing liver and pancreatic cancers in the OR to pushing the limits of immunotherapy in biotech. He was previously CMO at Trius Life Sciences.

Here’s what you’re in for:

• What happens when you don’t clearly define what you’re hiring for
• How bad hires can quietly fracture entire clinical programs
• Why the “safe” development plan isn’t always the smartest—and when to take the risk anyway

TMI: Things You Didn’t Know About Steven

• Loves tennis, history, and TRX workouts
• Favorite thing in London? The West End theater scene (avoid: kids on Netflix!)

Timestamps:

04:06 – Lessons from surgery that shaped his biotech career

08:35 – Advice to surgeons and doctors considering a move to biotech

13:20 – Why IPSC is so promising for oncology and autoimmune disease

17:00 – Culture clash or culture strength? Japan–US dynamics at Shinobi

22:30 – When internal alignment falls apart

24:35 – Playing it safe vs. doing what’s right

26:19 – Common mistakes Steven still sees in biotech

30:15 – The problem with drug delivery in solid tumors

31:00 – Best and worst experiences with recruiters

33:08 – What happens when you hire the wrong person

34:46 – Final question: What is Steven most grateful for in his career

About Steven

Dr. Steven Katz is the CMO and SVP of Translational Science for Shinobi Therapeutics for Shinobi Therapeutics, a biotech developing off-the-shelf, immune-evasive, iPSC-derived cell therapies, and Professor of Surgery at Brown University. He has dedicated his career to helping patients with solid tumors in the operating room and developing novel immunotherapy solutions for those beyond the reach of current standard-of-care options.

Outside of his professional stint, he spends time with his children, doing TRX workouts, playing tennis, reading history and of course joining me on this podcast - welcome.

Connect with Steven:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katz-steve/
• Website: https://www.shinobitx.com/

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...

In this episode, I talked with Christian Mueller, Chief Development Officer at Immutep. Christian’s path into biotech wasn’t exactly planned—from summarizing VC business plans during his studies to becoming a driving force behind the world’s first Claudin 18.2-directed antibody.

We talked about the wins and the setbacks: from finally securing Pembrolizumab supply after years of rejections, to those painful moments when you give your all to a project, and still feel unseen. Christian also opened up about hiring, leadership, and what makes a biotech team truly work (or fall apart). He shared why Immutep has gone all-in on LAG-3, what makes their international culture different from most, and why knowing your weaknesses might just be the most underrated leadership skill.

And to wrap things up, we threw in a few quickfire questions, from the book he’s reading (featuring octopuses!) to what he tries to do every single day to stay sharp.

Here’s what you’re in for:

• The red flag that made Christian walk away from a company
• Why great hiring is about cultural fit, not just perfect CVs
• What small biotechs misunderstand most about recruitment

Timestamps:

01:54 – From Economics to Biotech: How VC Summaries Led to Drug Development

07:41 – Career Lows: Feeling Undervalued and Facing a Regulatory Near-Shutdown

13:48 – Why LAG-3? The Science and Conviction Behind Immutep’s Strategy

14:34 – Inside Immutep: Low-Ego Culture, Fast Decisions, and Argument-Driven Thinking

17:00 – Hiring With Humility: The Culture Fit That Matters Most

22:47 – Cultural Fit Over Credentials: What Hiring Managers Really Want

33:44 – Quickfire Questions: Books, Octopuses, and Trying New Things

About Christian

Christian Mueller currently serves as the Chief Development Officer at Immutep, where he has been instrumental in advancing the company's lead compound, Efti, from Phase I through to Phase III clinical trials. ​Prior to his tenure at Immutep, Christian led the clinical development of Zolbetuximab, the first-ever CLDN18.2-directed antibody.

Christian brings a unique multidisciplinary mindset to his work, describing himself as a “translator” between different scientific and operational domains. Outside of work, he is a lifelong basketball fan and enjoys spending time in nature

Connect with Christian

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-mueller-05199481/
• Immutep: https://www.immutep.com/

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...

In this episode, I talked with Kirsty Crame-van Nierop, Director of Shiaba Consulting, Specialist in Clinical Drug Development. Kirsty shares her career journey, including her transition from aspiring vascular surgeon to a leader in personalized targeted therapies. We went over her key career highlights, and the challenges faced during COVID, and she gave valuable career bits of advice.

Kirsty gave insights on the importance of hiring the right people in clinical development, the balance between using consultants and in-house expertise, the cultural fit in hiring, and her experiences in the job search process, highlighting the importance of communication and feedback in recruitment.

Here’s what you’re in for:

• The problem with "unicorn" hiring expectations.
• Why the best hiring decisions often begin three to six months too late.
• When outsourcing fails: why early-stage biotech still needs in-house decision-makers.

Timestamps

01:56 From Vascular Surgery Dreams to Unexpected Beginnings

04:41 The High of an IND Win, and the Low of Leading Through Lockdown

07:25 The Career Advice That Changed Her Trajectory

09:34 Why Early Decisions Make or Break Biotech

17:52 In-House vs. Outsourced Roles

19:15 “What Do We Actually Need?” – A Biotech Hiring Dilemma

28:22 The Harsh Reality Behind Biotech Applications

32:36 The Value of Long-Term Professional Relationships

About Kirsty

Kirsty Crame is a seasoned medical doctor of over 12 years of experience in drug development. She got her MD in Amsterdam and since then has worked across therapeutic areas, diabetes, cancer, et cetera. But most, if not all, of her clinical development career, has been using personalized targeted therapies to find new cures to cancer. Outside of her professional life, Kirsty is a dedicated mother of two boys. She brings the same energy and discipline from the clinic to the field. She's an avid field hockey player and embraces an active lifestyle that keeps her balanced and thriving. Kirsty and I know each other as she was a candidate and then client of mine at Medigene.

Connect with Kirsty:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirsty-crame-van-nierop-418b0b38/

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.