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.

In this episode, I talked with Sampreet Ramachandra, Head of the Hematology Business Unit at Novartis Germany, about what it really takes to lead high-stakes launches — and what leadership looks like when things don’t go to plan.

Sampreet shares how graduating into the 2008 financial crisis forced him to rethink his career from day one. What was meant to be a short stop in oncology turned into an 18-year commitment to the industry. We talk about leading the commercialization of CAR-T in Germany, writing a launch playbook from scratch, and why excellence in launch is rare.

We also discussed hiring mistakes — from overselling a role to ignoring a gut feeling — and why culture isn’t what you write on slides, but what you accept, celebrate, and tolerate, gender equity, the motherhood penalty, and what leadership responsibility truly means when it’s personal.

Outside his professional work, Sampreet is someone who intentionally steps into discomfort — whether that’s learning tennis from scratch, snowboarding, practicing yoga, or picking up a camera as a hobby photographer. For him, growth isn’t just professional — it’s personal, physical, and ongoing.

Here’s What You’re In For

• Building teams that can handle stress, scrutiny, and speed
• The moment he hired someone “perfect on paper” — but ignored his gut
• The real meaning of gender equity — and the career fear he witnessed at home

Timestamps

02:17 – Graduating into the 2008 crash and taking an oncology role by necessity

02:32 – From tech in India to committing to pharma

09:11 – Commercializing CAR-T and pioneering a new launch model

10:18 – Writing a playbook from scratch for cell & gene therapy

13:03 – What’s changed (and what hasn’t) in launches

18:53 – Building great launch teams: mindset, resilience, experimentation

24:30 – Overselling a role and watching it unravel

27:18 – Ignoring a gut feeling in hiring

30:01 – Gender equity, motherhood penalty & parental leave

36:56 – Ending up in the emergency room — and rethinking ambition

About Sampreet

Sampreet Ramachandra is Head of the Hematology Business Unit at Novartis Germany, with over 18 years of experience across global, regional, and country leadership roles. He has led multiple best-in-class and first-in-class launches, including pioneering the commercialization of CAR-T in Germany.

Originally starting his career in tech in India before graduating into the 2008 financial crisis, Sampreet built his path in pharma through purpose-driven decisions and continuous learning — holding degrees from Harvard, LSE, and India. Beyond commercial leadership, he is a strong advocate for gender equity and a supporter of youth education initiatives in India.

Outside work, he’s a hobby photographer, snowboarder, yoga enthusiast, and is currently learning tennis

Connect with Sampreet:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sampreetramachandra/
• Website: https://www.novartis.com/de-de/

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 Volker Wacheck, SVP & Head of Clinical Development at Taiho Oncology, where he shared how a PI role in Vienna led him into industry, and why the hardest part wasn’t leaving academia, but learning the unseen sides of drug development: regulatory, compliance, and CMC.

Volker talked about the risks of hiring KOLs straight into VP or CMO roles, and why some thrive while others struggle. He also mentioned Taiho’s unique setup—anchored in Princeton, embedded in Otsuka’s Japanese holding—and how that cross-cultural mix shapes everything from decision-making speed to communication style.

He also shares his most personal leadership lessons: the regret of staying silent in work, the “ask, don’t accuse” method he uses now, and how to manage egos when science and careers collide. From Taiho’s pipeline to his views on hiring, recruiters, and why impact often starts only after 18–24 months, this was a candid look at the realities of building teams and drugs that last.

(Find out more in the episode.)

Here’s What You’re In For

1. KOLs jumping straight to VP/CMO—when it’s transformational vs. a risky mis‑fit.
2. Over‑prepared vs. under‑prepared interviews: what signals actually predict success.
3. Recruiters who stick the landing: investing time upfront and optimizing for tenure, not just speed.

Timestamps:

01:26 – Why he left academia and looked to industry

03:12 – Learning the “other side” of development: regulatory, compliance, CMC

05:00 – KOLs jumping to VP/CMO: when it works and why it’s risky

11:31 – Working US/EU/Japan: direct vs. indirect communication; shared principles

14:00 – Why candidates might love Taiho: “small enough to feel personal, big enough to win,” plus stability

16:20 – The biomarker‑assay story: when not speaking up backfired

23:22 – Hiring: over‑prepared vs under‑prepared—what Volker actually looks for

26:29 – Good vs excellent recruiters: the time they put in before the search

About Volker

Volker Wacheck is Senior Vice President and Head of Clinical Development at Taiho Oncology. A medical oncology background and now over two decades of industry experience its fair to say he knows a lot about cancer research.

Taiho is known for its cancer drug development including, Futi-Ba-tinib their FG-FR inhibitor and Zipa-Ler-tinib which targets EGFR Mutations.

Volker is also someone who comes highly recommended, Michael Lahn, Ilaria Conti and insert other great person in the field all know and respect Volker. We spoke a few weeks before ASCO, met at ASCO and now doing this - and of course its a pleasure to have him on here.

Connect with Volker:

1. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/volker-wacheck-b173248/
2. Website: https://www.taihooncology.com/us/

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:

1. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/
2. 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 Dr. Dena Grayson, a physician–scientist with over two decades in biotech drug development. At the time of this recording, she was SVP and Head of Clinical Development at Keros Therapeutics, leading programs in rare bone marrow disorders, and she has since become SVP of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at Kyverna Therapeutics. Earlier in her career, she helped advance Repatha at Amgen, and her path has also included running for Congress and serving as a national media voice during COVID.

Dena shares what it was like being the only MD–PhD in Amgen’s business development group, how she transitioned into clinical development, and the lessons she carried forward from her time in both politics and national media, where she became a trusted voice during the COVID pandemic. We dive into the real difference between presenting “the what” and explaining “the so what,” and why communication often makes or breaks careers in biotech.

Alongside her professional journey, Dena opens up about the wildest recruitment experience she’s ever had, her approach to building strong teams, and why patience in hiring beats rushing a decision. And in our quick-fire round, she shares stories from her days as a state champion soccer player, her love of surfing, and how she unwinds outside biotech.

(Find out more in the episode.)

Here’s What You’re In For

1. How a political campaign loss led to a media career during COVID
2. How to handle interviews when you’re introverted
3. The kinds of questions that truly impress hiring managers

Timestamps

01:10 – Landing her first industry role at Amgen

03:24 – Repatha and investigational therapies at Keros

04:49 – Surfing, soccer, and state championships

07:08 – From political spouse to running for Congress

08:42 – Becoming a media commentator during COVID

10:41 – Communication lessons: from “what” to “so what”

15:14 – Advice for introverts in interviews and early career roles

17:37 – How thoughtful questions can change the dynamic in an interview

21:02 – Nearly 20 years as a hiring manager: what’s changed and what hasn’t

23:11 – Advice for junior hiring managers and why patience matters

25:37 – A candidate with a completely fabricated CV—the wildest recruitment story

About Dena

Dr. Dena Grayson is a physician–scientist (MD, PhD) with over 20 years in biotech drug development. At the time of this recording, she was SVP and Head of Clinical Development at Keros Therapeutics, leading programs in rare bone marrow disorders, and she has since become SVP of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at Kyverna Therapeutics. Earlier in her career, she helped advance Repatha at Amgen, and her path has also included running for Congress and serving as a national media voice during COVID, experiences that shaped her belief that communication is as critical as science in driving biotech forward.

Connect with Dena:

1. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denaminninggrayson/
2. Website: https://kyvernatx.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...

In this episode, I talked with Richard Nkulikiyinka, Chief Medical Officer at Antag Therapeutics, a Copenhagen-based biotech developing GIPR antagonists in the obesity space.

Richard’s career began in the NHS, where he spent five years practicing acute medicine and intensive care—until the moment he realized he couldn’t picture himself doing the same thing for the next 30 years. That realization sparked a pivot that many physicians quietly wrestle with: leaving behind the security of the ward for the uncertainty of industry.

Richard also shares what it was like to walk away from a stable VP role at Bayer during a restructuring, take an intentional career break, and use those months to reflect on what really mattered before joining Antag Therapeutics. We talk about the shift from big pharma to biotech, what he learned from leading through severe stakeholder misalignment, and why authentic communication matters more than management theory when things get messy.

And yes—there’s a light-hearted detour into Berlin life, bad currywurst, and how to tell when it’s time to make serious changes in your team.

Here’s What You’re In For

1. What makes Antag Therapeutics’ culture unique
2. The hardest leadership call: deciding when the problem is you vs them
3. The recruitment ghosting story that every hiring manager should hear

Timestamps

02:08 – Leaving the NHS: deciding what he could be “happily bored with”

04:00 – Landing his first pharma job at Bayer in drug safety

09:33 – Overview of Antag Therapeutics and GIPR vs GLP-1

13:20 – Leaving Bayer and taking a sabbatical to reset

17:08 – What it’s like to work at Antag Therapeutics—and what he looks for in candidates

18:46 – The toughest chapter: extreme stakeholder misalignment in dermatology

25:16 – Leadership lessons: firing, feedback, and the “benefit of the doubt”

29:00 – Why managers struggle to act fast—and how structure slows decisions

31:48 – Richard’s worst recruitment experience: being ghosted by agencies

About Richard

Richard Nkulikiyinka, is the Chief Medical Officer of Antag Therapeutics, a biotech developing GIPR antagonists within the Obesity space. A UK-trained physician, he spent five years practicing in acute medicine and intensive care within the NHS - this is also where he developed his dry sense of humour - and now he transitioned into the biopharmaceutical industry, where he has built over 17 years of experience.

Prior to joining Antag, Richard served as Vice President in Clinical Development at Bayer Pharma, where he played a central role in advancing four drugs to approval. He is now ein Berliner - where we often meet for clubbing and currywurst.

Connect with Richard:

1. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-nkulikiyinka-66336014/
2. Website: https://antagtx.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:

1. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/
2. 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 Prof. Dr. med. Markus Kosch, Head of Oncology Europe and Canada at Daiichi Sankyo Europe, about what it really means to lead with empathy, perseverance, and purpose in today’s biopharma world. Markus shared how losing his father to cancer at 21 shaped his commitment to oncology — and why that experience still guides his decisions decades later.

After ten years in the hospital system, he faced a turning point: realizing that to help more patients, he’d have to step outside the clinic. That leap led him into industry at a time when ADCs were still an emerging idea — and he’s since built a career around transforming long-term scientific perseverance into patient impact.

Markus opened up about layoffs and restructuring, learning to lead through influence rather than authority, and why “patient-centricity” has to be more than a corporate phrase. He also shared how Daiichi Sankyo invests in nurses, why he values authenticity above experience in hiring, and how he handles tough conversations — including a live role-play on what to do when an employee asks for a promotion that isn’t possible.

(Find out more in the episode.)

Here’s What You’re In For

1. How to lead through influence, not authority
2. What patient-centricity really looks like inside Daiichi Sankyo
3. How perseverance and ikigai fuel innovation

Timestamps

03:00 – From hospital to industry — how his first pharma role came about

07:15 – Leading through influence instead of authority

08:10 – Guiding teams through restructuring

09:45 – How empathy and transparency define good leadership

12:10 – Patient-centric culture at Daiichi Sankyo

17:45 – Japanese lessons in ikigai

20:40 – Hiring authenticity

25:00 – Role-play: handling promotion requests and career plateaus

About Markus

Prof. Dr. med. Markus Kosch is Head of Oncology Europe & Canada at Daiichi Sankyo, with extensive leadership experience in oncology and global pharma. Before joining Daiichi Sankyo, he spent 16.5 years at Wyeth and Pfizer in senior roles. Trained as a physician, Markus worked for a decade treating cancer patients before moving into the pharmaceutical industry.

His early personal experience with cancer — losing his father at age 21 — shaped his commitment to patient-centric innovation. Known for connecting scientific excellence with responsibility and perseverance, he focuses on advancing breakthrough oncology therapies, particularly Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs). He is passionate about leadership, collaboration, and embedding patient needs at the center of every decision.

Connect with Markus

1. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markus-kosch/
2. Daiichi Sankyo Europe: https://www.daiichi-sankyo.eu/

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...