The Venari Podcast: Recent Episodes
Venari Partners
Venari Partners is a boutique Executive Search & Advisory firm. We help our clients to identify, attract and retain essential leadership talent around the world. With 85% of our mandates completed internationally, we are committed to taking a truly global approach and leave no stone unturned.
We were founded on the belief that Executive Search experiences, for clients and candidates alike, should be a lot better. Our mission is simple: to provide outstanding experiences to our customers and make them as passionate about finding talent as we are.
We do not profess to be able to source candidates across every sector and functional discipline. Instead, we operate in niche markets where our industry knowledge, extensive networks and passion make us a market leader. If we cannot provide a world-class service, we would rather not provide a service at all.
We place leaders into the following disciplines: Strategy, Commercial, Operational, Financial, and Digital & Technology. We are sector specialists in these industries: Aviation & Aerospace, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Private Equity & Venture Capital, Retail & Consumer Goods, and Travel, Hospitality & Logistics.
For more information on our services and solutions, visit our website and follow us on social media.
Sean Tribull, our Hospitality & Leisure Lead, has launched Suite Talk, a new series for the Venari Podcast covering the latest insights on hospitality leadership. His second guest is Barbara Muckermann, CEO of Kempinski Hotels.
Sean Tribull, our Hospitality & Leisure Lead, has launched Suite Talk, a new series for the Venari Podcast covering the latest insights on hospitality leadership. His first guest is Orient Express Group CEO and Chief Strategy Officer at Accor, Gilda Perez-Alvarado.
In this episode of the Venari Podcast, James Gibson, CEO of VOID Technologies, discusses sustainable packaging solutions that focus on reducing the use of virgin plastics through innovative technology. VOID creates lighter and more recyclable polyethylene films by embedding voids, or air pockets, into the material, making it an eco-friendlier option for flexible packaging, including food and hygiene products. James also highlights the company's growth in both the UK and US, its focus on the circular economy, and the exciting upcoming product launches in 2024.
In this episode of the Venari Podcast, Tim Hartnell speaks with Tim Silbermann, CEO of Paboco, about their pioneering sustainable packaging solution, the paper bottle. Silbermann shares insights on Paboco’s mission to revolutionize the packaging industry with a circular, fiber-based alternative to plastic, reflecting on his own journey and leadership at the company. The conversation highlights the challenges and opportunities of scaling sustainable packaging innovations and Paboco’s ambitious goal of making paper bottles a global standard.
In this episode of the Venari podcast's Sustainable Packaging CEO series, Tim Hartnell interviews Karri Koskela, CEO of Wipak Group, about sustainable packaging and the company's mission toward carbon neutrality. Karri shares insights into Wipak's innovative approach to sustainability, highlighting their ambitious ESG goals and the importance of transparency in environmental claims. The conversation also touches on the future of packaging, the evolving role of digitalization, and Wipak's strategies for attracting top talent in the industry.
In this episode of the sustainable packaging CEO series, Tim Hartnell Sustainable Packaging Lead, talks to Malcolm Waugh about his career history, Frugalpac’s latest sustainable development, and how managers, both good and bad, have helped shaped his career to becoming CEO.
‘I’ve been doing this for a long, long time. I think it’s a very rewarding thing to do.’
This episode of the Venari Podcast’s Talking Radiopharma series saw Matthew Palmer speak to Ariceum Therapeutics CEO Manfred Ruediger. A serial biotech entrepreneur, Manfred has worked in executive functions in biotech for almost 25 years.
Ariceum’s development of novel targeted radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatment – as well as Manfred’s considerable experience building out companies – certainly offered plenty of scope for discussion. Tune in to hear more about what Ariceum do differently, plus Manfred’s thoughts on team building and his advice for the radiopharmaceutical innovators of tomorrow!
Our thanks to the Ariceum CEO and his team for this fascinating podcast.
Building on the work he did in the sustainable transport space for New York City’s MTA, Craig is now National Director of Zero Emissions Mobility for STV – and Gov Kandola heard all about his career path and work on this Venari Podcast episode
Craig Cipriano has a good analogy for the challenge of transitioning to zero-carbon transport. ‘We’re building a plane and flying it at the same time. In other words, we’re implementing zero-emission technology while this technology is maturing.’
Still, it’s a test that Craig is more than up for. After almost 35 years working for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City, he is now National Director of Zero Emissions Mobility at the engineering company STV. Craig is working on some really exciting projects – so of course Gov Kandola, our Senior Transport & Logistics Consultant, was keen to invite him to speak on the Venari Podcast’s Sustainability Series.
Gov Kandola, who heads up our Transport & Logistics team, spoke to Lauren for the Venari Podcast’s Sustainability Series
Lauren Riley, Chief Sustainability Officer at United Airlines, admits that aviation is hard to abate. It means ‘we don’t have the solutions at scale commercially available to make a difference right now.’ But that doesn’t mean the situation is hopeless – anything but, in fact. For Lauren, the appeal of a sustainability role in her sector comes down to there being ‘no shortage of solutions,’ in contrast to other hard-to-abate industries, ‘so it’s multi-functional, really dynamic [...] opportunity is everywhere.’ There is plenty of work to do – but Lauren is more than up for the challenge. ‘I’m in a space where I believe I can drive change and I’m proud of that.’
Gov Kandola, who leads our Transport & Logistics practice, spoke to Lauren Riley on this episode of the Venari Podcast’s Sustainability Series. But what did we learn from their conversation?
We at Venari Partners know only too well the allure that aviation continues to hold. The accessibility of flying hasn’t diminished the air of glamour that still surrounds the industry; it captures people’s imaginations in a way that other modes of transport simply can’t compete with. Still, these are tricky times for recruitment in aviation – so given the role the sector plays in global carbon emissions, is this a golden opportunity to focus the industry’s attention on finding the right talent to drive sustainability?
‘I certainly have my dream job,’ says Amelia DeLuca. ‘Chief Sustainability Officer of an airline like Delta is absolutely a dream. It doesn’t mean it’s easy.’ Gov Kandola, our Senior Transport & Logistics Consultant, was thrilled to welcome Amelia to this episode of the Venari Podcast’s Sustainability Series, where they discussed her career journey to date, how to overcome the obstacles inherent in decarbonising aviation, and building teams that can make sustainability goals a reality.
It’s fair to say that Tiffany Olson has always kept herself busy. ‘When other girls were playing Barbie, I played store and I was making a profit at five years old,’ she notes. Tiffany took her entrepreneurial spirit and drive to the pharmaceutical industry, where an early taste of working life was enough to give her the bug: ‘Once I saw and experienced that patient impact, I was hooked on this industry. And I’ve stayed in it my entire career.’
Tiffany told Matt Palmer, Senior Oncology Consultant for our Life Sciences team, all about her career on this episode of the Venari Podcast’s Talking Radiopharma series.
Nuclear medicine is finally having its moment. Radiopharmaceuticals are poised to bring about a sea change in the treatment of cancer – though to make sure innovation in the space remains at the cutting edge, having the right talent is arguably the single most important aspect.
It was this topic that led Ken Herrmann and Valentina Ambrosini, from Essen University Hospital and the University of Bologna respectively, to co-author an article for the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. This, in turn, caught the attention of our Senior Oncology R&D Consultant, Matthew Palmer.
Matt invited Ken and Valentina to speak about their findings and their own insights on this topic on the Venari Podcast. So, what do the co-authors think about addressing the generation gap in nuclear medicine, and what are the implications of their research?
‘I’ve always been curious,’ Precirix Chief Technology Officer Dimitrios Mantzilas admits. It’s certainly served him well in his career in nuclear medicine. Matthew Palmer, Senior Oncology Consultant for our Life Sciences team, spoke to Dimitrios for this episode of the Venari Podcast’s Talking Radiopharma series. But what did we learn from their conversation?
‘I’ve always really loved the biotech space,’ says Sonya Montgomery. An experienced Chief Medical Officer (CMO) with a strong focus on genomic medicine for rare diseases, Sonya has over 20 years of experience developing drugs across the US, Canada, the UK, and the Netherlands. Having most recently worked at Evox Therapeutics, Sonya has also offered her services as an independent consultant for the past decade. Paula Doust Alba, CNS & Rare Disease Consultant for our Life Sciences team, was delighted to catch up with Sonya on the Venari Podcast to discuss Sonya’s career to date, her thoughts on building teams in the space, and prevalent trends within research and development.
Matthew Palmer, Senior Oncology Consultant for our life sciences practice, caught up with ARTBIO CEO Emanuele Ostuni for this episode of the Venari Podcast. You can read the transcript of the interview below for more on Emanuele’s career, what ARTBIO are working on, the challenges of being a CEO, and his thoughts on building teams for success.
‘Employee engagement remains such an important part of the work that we do as HR leaders – and, really, as business leaders,’ says Amy Rodgers. She’s been Chief Human Resources Officer at PPC Flexible Packaging since November 2022, and has plenty of wisdom to share about managing talent in the packaging space.
Tim Hartnell, Senior Consultant for our Sustainable Packaging practice, caught up with Amy on this episode of the Venari Podcast. Here are some of the key things we learned from their conversation!
Matthew Palmer, Senior Oncology Consultant for our Life Sciences team, caught up with Ian for the first episode of ‘Talking Radiopharma’, Matthew’s new series for the Venari Podcast. Read on for Ian’s thoughts on life as a CEO, ImaginAb’s R&D in theragnostics, and key challenges the company looks set to face going forward. Ian also has some fascinating insights on team building, the key skillsets he looks for in talent, and advice for budding scientists and developers in his nuclear medicine.
‘I’ve always had the attitude that whatever is needed, wherever you need me to fill in, just let me know and we’ll take it on,’ says Acorda Therapeutics CCO, Kerry Clem. ‘I think that was one of the main things that helped me to elevate and grow.’ He’s amassed a wealth of commercial life sciences experience over her 25 years in the industry, joking that 13 years at Acorda alone make him ‘a relic in this industry’ – and so he was a natural candidate for inclusion on the BioPharma Chief Commercial Officer series for the Venari Podcast, run by our Life Sciences Commercial Lead, Joe Knight.
“I can say definitively that the years working abroad were the most formative from a career and personal perspective – you learn so much when you take a role outside of your home market”.
Fabulous to welcome Eric Luthi, Evergreen Theragnostics’s (relatively) recently appointed Chief Commercial Officer, to the Venari Podcast. We discuss building commercial infrastructure from scratch, how international experience has shaped his career and getting into the exciting world of radiopharmaceuticals.
Radiopharma is a space that my colleague Matthew Palmer and I are doing a lot of work in currently, both on the R&D and commercial side. Get in touch if you’d like to learn more!
For Kara Oldhouser, what she describes as the ‘catalyst moment’ for her career in sustainability came after working in the commercial and architectural design space. Having studied interior design, she now had the chance to blend aesthetics with engineering and construction – and, with interest in environmental design increasing, Kara found herself drawn to learn more. She did a master’s in environmental studies and, after working with the built environment for a few years, joined Amtrak – the National Passenger Railroad of the U.S. – in 2017. Kara’s first position at Amtrak was in the real estate department – a development she describes as ‘a funny little story’: ‘The Environment Sustainability team sat right next to me and I became fast friends with everyone in that department,’ she recalls. ’90 days after starting [...] it was clear that my path was really meant for the sustainability manager position at the time’.
Seven years later, Kara is their Director of Sustainability – and Gov Kandola, who leads our Transport & Logistics team, was pleased to catch up with her for an episode of the Venari Podcast’s Sustainability series to discuss Kara’s career, Amtrak’s sustainable initiatives, and how this subject will influence future developments in her sector.
In this episode of the Venari Podcast’s Sustainability Series, our Transport & Logistics lead, Gov Kandola, spoke to Dr. Julia Hartmann about DACHSER’s sustainability initiatives and the state of play in the sector at large. You can read the transcript of their full interview below.
‘We are on the verge of a significant transition. The Olympics is going to be a catalyst for that.’
Can you imagine zero-emission public transport in your area by 2030? For many people, this might sound unrealistic – but not if you’re one of the 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Los Angeles Metro, the region’s public transport provider, has pledged to make their vehicles zero-emission by the beginning of the next decade. This might sound like a challenge, especially in a city as car-dependent as L.A. – but it’s one that Heather Repenning, Executive Officer for Metro, has positively embraced.
‘One of the things I’ve learned is you’re only as good as your team’.
Michael Ferguson joined Abivax as Chief Commercial Officer earlier this year, since then they’ve IPO’d on Nasdaq (largest French Biotech IPO ever - $212m) and Michael has been building and shaping the commercial strategy and team. We discuss all this and more in the next episode of The Venari Podcast – have a listen!
Happy New Year from everyone at Venari Partners! We hope you enjoyed the holiday season.
We’re pleased to have plenty of podcasts coming up in 2024 – and here, Gov Kandola, our Head of Transportation & Logistics, is kicking off a new podcast series on sustainability in his sector. In this interview, Gov speaks to Andrea Goeman, SVP for Sustainability at the shipping company JAS Worldwide.
Check out the clip to hear their conversation, which touches on subjects including Andrea and JAS’ sustainability initiatives, the challenges of adjusting to net zero goals, and building teams to meet environmental, social, and governance (ESG) targets.
You could be forgiven for thinking that making the move from consulting to industry might be a huge challenge – but Amanda Yu, Director of Customer Experience at Ocado, ‘really loved the transition’. Having had experience of project-based work in consultancy, Amanda was keen to gain more commercial and operational experience and she hasn’t looked back since.
Mhairi Geraghty, Senior Consultant across our Interim Solutionspractice, was delighted to catch up with Amanda on the Venari Podcast. Tune in to hear them discuss Amanda’s career and thoughts on topics ranging from mentoring to AI – as well as the future of retail!
‘I’m a huge proponent for working in large, established companies earlier in one’s career.’
With an enviable track record across Big Pharma and small biotechs, it’s worth noting what Rani Therapeutics’ Chief Business Officer, Kate McKinley, has to say – which is why Joe Knight, Commercial Consultant for our Life Sciences practice, invited her to appear on an episode of the Chief Commercial Officer series for the Venari Podcast.
Read on for more on their conversation on commercial strategy in life sciences, as well as preparing – and hiring within – organisations for commercialisation!
Mohamed Issa knows all about what is needed for successful life sciences launches. Before his current role as SVP of Immunology at Janssen, he held varied positions – including juggling the foundation and successful exit of Noor Pharmaceuticals at the same time as his previous day job – making him more than qualified to discuss launches both at startup and Big Pharma level.
Joe Knight caught up with Mohamed to gear his thoughts on leadership, team building, and the decisions that made him the executive he is today!
‘Technology changes fast – and I like that. I think the people that are in it for a long time enjoy that.’
With over 25 years of experience working in technology, Joel Goldberg has seen trends come and go – but, for him, some working principles remain constant. They’ve served him well over a varied and successful career, which has taken in a number of C-level positions at various companies, including Chief Digital Officer at WizzAir most recently.
Tom Woods, our Senior Digital & Technology Consultant, caught up with Joel on the Venari Podcast to discuss digital transformation, leadership, team building – and more! Check out the full conversation now.
Founding a company wasn’t in the script for BrightInsight CEO Kal Patel, though he did want ‘to work on really interesting problems that, with great people, can have a huge impact.’ Having previously worked in consulting and pharma, Kal left his role at Amgen to co-launch BrightInsight, bringing digital innovation for biopharma and medtech customers through the company’s platform – and he hasn’t looked back since!
Cristian Owen, our Digital Health Consultant, caught up with Kal for this episode of the Venari Podcast’s HealthTech CEO series, where they discussed Kal’s career journey, how BrightInsight works and strives to stay innovative, and the CEO’s advice for future HealthTech founders.
Check out the full clip here!
Consulting gave Rachel Goldberg has ‘a helicopter view of different aspects of business’ early in her professional life – though the chance to work on longer-term projects in retail was tempting. Over the course of a career that’s taken in stints in consulting as well as household names in retail, Rachel accrued vast experience of both sectors prior to attaining her current role as Group Head of Strategy at Currys.
Rachel spoke to Mhairi Geraghty, our Senior Interim Solutions Consultant, on the Venari Podcast about the challenges – and pleasures – of transitioning from consulting to retail, her advice for career success, and how to manage work-life balance and burnout in demanding roles.
Click below to see the full interview!
’We believe in the long-term that over telehealth using virtual reality, children can receive a superior service to in-person therapy.’
Vijay Ravindran has had a fascinating career path, taking in transformative roles at household names such as Amazon and The Washington Post. His background may be in software engineering, but – as he told our Digital Health Consultant, Cristian Owen, on this episode of the Venari Podcast’s MedTech CEO series – a personal connection to the neurodiverse community led him to found Floreo, a VR therapy company.
Here's the full interview – check it out to hear Floreo’s fascinating origin story, the future of VR and AI for digital therapy, and Vijay’s top tips for budding entrepreneurs!
‘Am I happy in the work that I’m doing, and am I growing and developing? I think when I’ve answered “No” to either of those questions is when I found it’s the right time to make a change.’
Emma Butler has enjoyed a varied career that has taken in stints at Deloitte, the BBC, and Burberry. Now, she has transitioned from finance and auditing into a transformation role, as Commercial Transformation Lead at Mulberry.
Mhairi Geraghty, our Senior Interim Solutions Consultant, caught up with Emma on this episode of the Venari Podcast. Check out the interview to hear about Emma’s career moves, her thoughts on mentorship, and the advice from a line manager that’s served her well!
Christian Tullberg Poulsen’s journey as a HealthTech founder began when a friend gave him an old device for training the lungs of people suffering from asthma and COPD. He gave it to some classical singers – and when the quality and pitch of their singing improved, Christian didn’t waste any time, buying worldwide rights and stock of the device to sell to singers.
Now, the Airofit has proven beneficial for weekend warriors, athletes – and even long COVID sufferers. In this episode of the Venari Podcast’s HealthTech CEO series, our Digital Health Consultant, Cristian Owen, found out all about Christian’s fascinating journey with Airofit – as well as the importance of good lungpower for all!
Check out the fascinating interview!
‘For me, strategy is very much a living, breathing thing.’
Rhea Fox has enjoyed a varied career as a digital lead at businesses including eBay, Aviva, and Paperchase. Rhea is currently an Interim Director at Monsoon Accessorize – and Tom Woods, our Senior Digital & Technology Consultant, was pleased to catch up with her on this episode of the Venari Podcast.
Here’s the full interview – tune in to hear Rhea discuss her career in digital transformation, her thoughts on talent acquisition and how to make hybrid working work for team building, as well as the future of digital transformation and the exciting new job roles Rhea foresees!
‘Go forward, surround yourself with people, and then trust whatever decision you make.’
Julia Regan never thought she’d start a company – and shortly after she did, in January 2020, the world went into lockdown. Now, almost four years on, RxLightning continues to go from strength to strength under Julia’s leadership, providing tech-based solutions for patients to access high-cost medicines.
Cristian Owen, our Digital Health Consultant, spoke to Julia on this episode of the Venari Podcast’s HealthTech CEO series. Check out the full interview here to listen to how the naturally risk-averse Julia launched a company in a challenging industry, how RxLightning works, and her advice for future HealthTech founders!
‘My dad opened my eyes really early to the possibility of engineering as a career.’
For Siân Thomas, taking after her father in pursuing engineering may have seemed like a logical career choice – though she recognises that such opportunities are not open to everyone. She’s enjoyed a diverse career across construction, utilities, oil and gas, and now transport, which she is passionate about opening up to more female and diverse candidates.
Gov Kandola, Senior Consultant for our Transport & Logistics practice, caught up with Siân on the Venari Podcast to discuss her career to date, Network Rail’s efforts to increase DEI across the organisation, and the key areas to consider for attracting and retaining new talent in the industry.
Check out the full interview here!
‘In order to empower people, of course you need to trust them.’
Sevinç Yener has over 25 years’ experience in executive management – and now, as CEO of Mondi Corrugated, she must navigate the challenges of providing effective sustainable packaging solutions in a challenging economic climate, with plenty of competitors. It’s been a success so far – and Tim Hartnell, our Senior Sustainable Packaging Consultant, heard the reasons why when he spoke to Sevinç on the Venari Podcast.
Check out the full interview to hear about Sevinç’s career, her thoughts on effective, ‘people-first’ leadership, and how Mondi are building for the future!
Ian Koons was always business-minded, but although his father was a physician, Ian didn’t know he would end up working in healthcare. A personal connection to cardiovascular disease sparked his interest in creating a ‘value-based care’ product – and thus Karoo Health was born.
Tune in to this episode of the Venari Podcast’s HealthTech CEO series, where our Digital Health consultant, Cristian Owen, spoke to Ian about Karoo’s origin story, how they’re rolling out their product among cardiovascular specialists in the U.S., and Ian’s advice for budding HealthTech entrepreneurs!
‘Number one, at the end of the day, is understanding who our end consumer is.’
Akhil Anumolu’s career has taken in digital product management, engineering, commercial strategy and digital marketing. As Vice President of Global Digital Product Management and Engineering at a renowned global fast food chain, he helps to shape the company’s digital transformation and innovation all over the world.
Tom Woods, Senior Consultant for our Digital & Technology team, got Akhil’s thoughts on team building, meeting customers’ needs, and staying ahead of the curve in digital transformation. The full podcast is out now – check it out here!
‘The second you really understand a problem that somebody has, you’ll be able to build something that they’re going to be interested in paying for.’
Ed Likovich always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but didn’t necessarily know that his business would be in the digital health space. Family history helped to fuel and inform his interest in assisting the older adult population, which he has built on with Nymbl Science.
Cristian Owen, our Digital Health Consultant, spoke to Ed for an episode of the Venari Podcast’s HealthTech CEO series. Tune in to learn about Ed’s personal connection to Nymbl’s mission, his thoughts on life as a Chief Executive Officer, tips for budding HealthTech founders, and more!
‘The funny thing about destiny is that a person will often meet it on a road they in fact avoided.’
Sama Fertility CEO Sarthak Sawarkar’s father tried in vain to warn him against a career in healthcare. Sarthak found himself fascinated by DNA sequencing, leading to an educational and professional engagement with the study of reproduction and fertility that would profoundly influence his career.
Sarthak was compelled to co-found Sama on seeing the lack of practical, affordable options for fertility treatment in the U.S. Cristian Owen, our Digital Health Consultant, spoke to Sarthak for the Venari Podcast’s HealthTech CEO series. Tune in to hear the eye-opening stats about the lack of viable fertility treatment options in the U.S., how Sama are innovating in a crowded field, and their plans for future growth!
‘Sometimes you need people to just jump into things and say, “Look, it’s going to be uncertain, but we want to keep an open mind and then we’re going to figure it out together.”’
Shruti George, VP of Strategic Innovation Platforms at Avery Dennison, wanted to do more to develop and innovate new projects internally. With her brainchild, the AD Stretch Accelerator, the company can partner with international startups on a range of new sustainable packaging ventures.
Tim Hartnell, Senior Consultant for our Sustainable Packaging practice, welcomed Shruti to the Venari Podcast recently, where they discussed the Accelerator’s inception, the startup cohorts they’ve partnered with, and how to build and lead teams that drive innovation.
Check out the full interview here!
‘We have to change the way we feed people and how we eat.’
Ari Tulla is on a mission to reframe food as medicine – and as CEO and founder of Elo Health, he’s doing all he can to implement his vision.
Longstanding family health issues first sparked Ari’s desire to make a positive difference by harnessing the power of healthy diets and nutrition. In this episode of the Venari Podcast’s HealthTech CEO series, our Digital Health consultant, Cristian Owen, spoke to Ari about the experiences that informed Elo’s launch, the company’s innovative approach to AI, and the changes Ari wants to see in how we approach health and nutrition.
Check out the full interview here!
‘I think an appreciation for translational research has really started to emerge over the past few years.’
Dr Chris Winrow has had an excellent vantage point from which to observe how approaches to translational research have changed in recent years. An expert in neurodegenerative disease, with over 20 years’ experience in pharma and biotech in a variety of research, translational, and clinical roles, he joined Lucy Therapeutics as CSO in March 2023.
Paula Doust Alba, our CNS & Rare Disease Consultant, welcomed Chris to an episode of the Venari Podcast’s R&D Hiring Strategy series to discuss his career, his thoughts on team building, what he looks for in new hires, and the future of translational research.
Check out the full interview!
With over 30 years’ experience in launching and leading multi-billion-dollar blockbuster drug launches, Kirsten Detrick is more than qualified to discuss what is needed for successful commercial strategies in biopharma. She was most recently CCO at Endpoint Health, and remains sought-after by biotechs preparing for commercialisation.
Kirsten spoke to our Life Sciences Commercial Consultant, Joe Knight, for the Venari Podcast Chief Commercial Officer series. Listen to their conversation which touched on Kirsten’s journey towards becoming a CCO, commercialisation and talent strategies!
‘You can’t afford to drag with suboptimal performance.’ Johanna Rossell, SVP General Manager Rare Diseases at Sumitomo Pharma America, has a wide range of professional experience to draw on when it comes to commercial biopharma. Her career has taken in stints in marketing and commercial across South America, Switzerland, and the US for a number of large companies prior to her recent experience as CCO of Enzyvant. Joe Knight, our Life Sciences Commercial Consultant, welcomed Johanna to the Venari Podcast for another episode of the Chief Commercial Officer series, where she opened up on what she’s learned from launches, when to bring in commercial teams, and her leadership philosophy of the ‘coach manager: the coach that can lead the multi-functional team’ while thinking long-term.
Dr. Tatiana Fofanova’s journey towards establishing Koda Health took off in earnest during COVID. She was inspired to provide a patient-facing web application for users without access to certain treatments and medical documents.
Despite the necessity of such offerings, however, startup life has been a rollercoaster ride – particularly as female-founded companies rarely get the same levels of investment as male-founded ones...
Tatiana spoke to Cristian Owen, our Specialist Digital Health Consultant, for the Venari Podcast’s Healthtech CEOs series. Check out the episode to learn more about Koda’s work, the unequal playing field for startup funding, and Tatiana’s leadership insights.
‘Introducing new technologies – that’s always a challenge.’ Aviation has returned to profitability, making it all the more important to keep pushing for new inventions and developments. Chris Gilliland knows all about this given his role as Director of Innovation and Technology at Vancouver International Airport - YVR.
Our Senior Digital & Tech Consultant, Liv Britz, spoke to Chris on all things innovation in the airport space – in particular, YVR’s virtual replica, or digital twin – on the Venari Podcast.
‘Launching a product is one of the most exciting things you can do.’ Life sciences product launches can be thrilling – if challenging. They require meticulous planning, a strong value proposition, and effective market access strategies – and Greg Gangemi knows all about this.
Joe Knight, our Life Sciences Commercial Consultant, was delighted to host Greg on an episode of the Venari Podcast’s Chief Commercial Officer series.
Dr Dean Carson’s professional expertise in neuroscience spans preclinical research, clinical development, medical affairs, and business operations. A neuroscientist and psychopharmacologist by training, he earned his PhD at the University of Sydney and did postdoctoral work at Stanford before leaving academia for industry to work in small, early-stage biotechs. Dean has held multiple operational, clinical, and scientific leadership positions, resulting in successful exits, funding, and drug approvals.
He is currently at atai Life Sciences, where he heads two programmes developing innovative psychiatric therapeutics – and Paula Doust Alba, our CNS & Rare Disease Consultant, was delighted to hear his thoughts on building leadership teams in the CNS space in a recent episode of the Venari Podcast’s R&D Hiring series.
High risk, high reward
Dean has a broad background in areas like endocrinology, metabolism, rare disease, and neurology, all of which are lower risk than psychiatry. By his own admission, he avoided psychiatry in industry for a long time because of the numerous difficulties associated with the field. Developing drugs in this space is extremely complex and the failure rate is high. Raising money can be difficult, also, with ‘many large companies kind of deprioritising their development plans within the space.’
Things are different now, however. ‘As we progress as a society,’ Dean says, ‘we’re seeing more and more of an unmet need.’ Funding opportunities for research from both venture capital as well as at federal level – in addition to more resources from large pharma companies – mean that people like Dean, ‘who’ve had interest and a training background in that space’, can feel more comfortable entering the high-risk, high-reward sphere of psychiatry.
Changes in the hiring space
People are often drawn to this side of the industry ‘through their own personal experiences, or just their observations of living on this planet,’ Dean notes. ‘That certainly is a motivator for people to want to develop drugs’ that can alleviate mental health conditions. He doesn’t believe that there are soft skills which are specific to psychiatry, as opposed to other areas of drug development. Still, Dean does point out that the way the industry approaches hiring into CNS, neurology, and psychiatry has changed in the past few years now that there is much more investor interest. When it comes to the knowledge base expected of senior hires, ‘the bar is much higher’ than it was even ten years ago. There is far more information available about the brain now; increasingly, leaders in these spaces need to have experience not only of developing drugs, but also an understanding of ‘the complexities and the nuances of any area within neuroscience that’s going to support bringing drugs to market.’
Dean notes that several companies in the neuroscience space have developed their talent’s skillsets internally, as experts in their fields rub shoulders with newer candidates coming to industry from academia. A diverse range of experience and specialisations is important to avoid ‘seeing people stagnate and just going over the same approach to drug development for an area that has been unsuccessful for a long time’, he says.
Larger vs smaller organisations – what are the hiring implications?
Hiring practices, in larger and smaller organisations alike, will often largely depend on what candidates are looking for at given points in their careers. Dean cites the movement of people looking to escape the downturn in biotech for something more stable, while candidates from Big Pharma, by contrast, may want a fresh challenge. The two-way flow can help both sides – many small biotechs would benefit from more structured setups and experienced candidates who ‘have the longer view of things’, while Big Pharma firms look to drive innovation with help from more agile talent.
What is the most important quality for hiring into CNS – and what does the future hold?
Whether you’re an employee, employer, or investor in the CNS space, one word is key: resilience. For Dean, it’s the number one quality for anyone working in this field given the frequently challenging nature of the work. ‘This is an incredibly high failure rate portion of the industry. And it’s a high failure rate because it’s the single most complicated aspect of medicine,’ he notes – which in turn explains why it has the ‘highest unmet need’. As long as those in the field stay resilient, ‘there will be breakthroughs and it will become more stable.’ Nonetheless, Dean says that for now, CNS and psychiatric drug development remain uncertain – ‘and people have to have tolerance for that.’
Indeed, in such a rapidly changing area, what the future holds for hiring patterns remains to be seen. Dean notes that AI will likely reduce staffing needs in areas of the industry that are easier to automate, whereas strategy decisions will require focus on allowing trailblazers to forge new paths in areas ‘where there haven’t been a large number of approvals, or at least not with anything that’s super novel.’ Strategic-level guidance may be helpful, but it won’t change the fact that ‘drug development is inherently risky,’ as Dean puts it. ‘People need to have an appetite for that risk, and they’re rewarded by a potential financial return’ – not to mention ‘the fascinating things that we do in this space.’
Do you need help with your CNS talent solutions? Don’t hesitate to get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.
In the next episode of the Chief Commercial Officer Series on the Venari Podcast, Joe Knight, who leads the Commercial function within the Life Sciences and Healthcare practice at Venari Partners, was joined by Everett Crosland, Chief Commercial Officer at Cognito Therapeutics. This isn't Everett's first CCO gig; he was previously CCO at AppliedVR and has a strong pricing and access background across both large and small organizations.
In this podcast episode, they talked about building high-performing commercial teams, becoming a CCO from an access perspective, and commercial trends in the coming years.
23 June is International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), an occasion to highlight and celebrate the achievements of female engineers. To mark the occasion, as well as to discuss ways to increase diversity in engineering, our Senior Transport & Logistics Consultant, Gov Kandola, was thrilled to welcome Janice Li to the Venari Podcast.
As Arcadis’ Rail & Transit Market Sector Leader for North America, Janice has a direct vantage point from which to observe how her industry is changing to become more inclusive – while noting the progress that still needs to be made. Check out this episode for a fascinating interview in which Janice discusses her career, the steps Arcadis are taking to bridge the gender diversity gap in engineering, and more!
‘Let's be transparent so that people can learn.'
Amy Mahery has over 20 years’ experience in multiple commercial roles in Big Pharma and biotech. Now, as CCO of Roivant Sciences, she’s responsible for the company’s commercial strategy as they build out their team and develop their leadership talent.
Joe Knight, our Life Sciences Commercial Consultant, was delighted to welcome Amy to the Venari Podcast for an episode of the Chief Commercial Officer series, where they discussed launch strategies, building commercial teams, advice for execs looking to become biotech CCOs, and more.
📢 ‘There have been strides made – but not enough.’ Historically, transport may not be the most diverse area of the labour market – though things are slowly beginning to change.
Our Senior Transport & Logistics Consultant, Gov Kandola, was delighted to welcome Cubic Transportation Systems’s Senior Global Marketing Manager, Krishna Desai, to the Venari Podcast for an enlightening discussion on making transportation more accessible, how companies in this sector can attract diverse candidates, and more.
What advice does Mycovia Pharmaceuticals CCO Tiffany Ahlers have for aspiring executives?
‘Take every experience given to you. A lot of times, I would take on additional responsibilities or roles [...] I got exposure to other areas of the business.’
Our Life Sciences consultant, Joe Knight, was delighted to welcome Tiffany to our Chief Commercial Officer series for the Venari Podcast recently. Check out the full episode now!
"External consultants can be a great way of bridging the capability gap".
Independent consultant and McKinsey alumnus Dr. Robert L. recently sat down with Senior Consultant in our Interim practice, Mhairi Geraghty, to give his thoughts on how to scope a project or interim need. He shares what good (and bad) looks like, and what it takes to increase the chances of your project’s success.
🤝 ‘You’ve got to be able to love what you do, and love what the company’s trying to achieve.’
Jawad Bisbis, Global VP of Marketing & Partnerships at Ball Corporation, knows a thing or two about talent acquisition strategy.
With 25 years’ experience in marketing, he’s well aware of the need to establish an entrepreneurial culture for his teams – not to mention a company mission and purpose that talent can get behind.
🕒 When should clinical Biotechs start building their commercial team? Joe Knight, Commercial Lead for our Life Sciences & Healthcare practice, asked Robert Francomano, CCO at SELLAS Life Sciences Group, Inc., when is the right time to begin a commercial build-out. Stay tuned for the full interview – it will be the first episode of our new Biotech Chief Commercial Officer series!#cco #chiefcommercialofficer #biotech #pharma #goitalone #executivesearch #interview #lifesciences
📈 How can consulting prepare you for a C-suite role?As PepsiCo CFO North Europe Sam Wolfenden notes in this episode of The Venari Podcast, transitioning from consulting into executive roles isn't always clearly defined. Analytical skills may get you far – but what else do you need to be an effective business leader?Stay tuned for the full interview releasing soon!#consulting #executivesearch #csuite #insights
♻️ Issues around sustainability are not just restricted to attendees at this week’s COP27. For packaging companies, how can a holistic approach to the topic reduce their environmental impact? Jenny Wassenaar, Chief Sustainability Officer at Trivium Packaging, believes that this is crucial: ‘Only looking at the CO2 footprint is, unfortunately, not enough – certainly not if you’re only looking at a lifecycle assessment.’
Check out the video to find out more - full interview released next week!
sustainability #packaging #environment #cop27 #sustainablepackaging #circulareconomy #co2footprint #lifecycleassessment
How can you rebrand a popular app to reflect your company’s wider vision, while staying loyal to your customers and what brought you success in the first instance?
For Chris Wasden, CSO at Twill, the company’s mission is simple: ‘delivering the right therapy, to the right person, at the right time, in the way that they want it’.
In this fascinating interview, Chris updated us on the rebranding of healthcare app Happify into Twill, detailing how the company has expanded their outlook and what the next five years hold for them.
For someone who professes not to have had a plan for how his leadership career might go, things have worked out well for Ed Alford. After long, successful stints as a consultant (Andersen/Accenture) (BP, where he was Global CIO and Senior VP in the Group Leadership team), in April 2021 Ed changed course entirely when he became CTO at New Look.
Senior Digital & Technology Consultant Liv Britz caught up with Ed at the Venari Partners office recently, where he discussed his experience in – and philosophy of – leadership. After getting over the urge to do everything himself, he now credits his role in various projects he oversaw as ‘allowing people to have the space where they were trusted’.
https://www.venaripartners.com/post/leadership-insights-transformation-success-humility-ed-alford-cto-new-look
📈 How can emotional commitment from your employees give your organisation a competitive advantage?
2022 HR Trends Report discovered that 31% of employees who quit their jobs in the Great Resignation did so after gaining perspective on what's important in their lives.
Therefore, when Tim Hartnell spoke with Martin Falkenberg, former CHRO at SUEZ North America, it came as no surprise that he stressed the importance of discretionary effort – employees willing to give more than is expected to their organisation – through driving engagement and value.
📽Watch the trailer below now, and the full podcast will be released soon!
hrexecutive #engagement #talent #employeeengagement #podcast
Could your home be the hospital of the future?
As the costs of healthcare rise year after year, many industry professionals are seeking a solution that benefits both the patient and the supply chain.
For Niels van Namen, the Executive Vice President of Global Healthcare at CEVA Logistics, the answer lies within combining a lower cost and more convenient alternative in the form of homecare.
Nearly 90% of healthcare spending, $3.7 trillion annually, and about 20% of U.S. economic output, is spent on therapies for conditions that could be prevented or treated through lifestyle changes. Dominik Burziwoda, CEO and co-founder at Perfood, takes us through the science behind digital therapeutics, and how monitoring your blood sugar level could change your life.
Perfood develops and markets digital prevention and therapeutics products. All of Perfood’s products have a common basis – personalized low-glycemic diet and lifestyle modifications.
Over the last couple of years, a lot of key players in the market have announced projected dates for launching autonomous trucks. Those dates, however, had to be postponed many times...
Listen to Christoph Domke and Gov Kandola's conversation, and gain an insight into the world of autonomous trucks – what they are, some of the key benefits associated with them and also some of the roadblocks autonomous vehicles face.
Christoph Domke is a leader within the mobility space and a former global director for clean and smart mobility with FTI Consulting and KPMG. He is also a leading expert in the fields of digital freight brokerage, driverless transportation, truck platooning and alternative powertrain technologies. Other areas of Christoph's expertise include connectivity and telematics, platform and product strategies, additive manufacturing, off-highway vehicles, aftermarket, intelligent mobility solutions and megatrends in both developed and emerging markets.
Gov Kandola leads Venari Partners’ Surface Transport and Logistics space. Gov works with many of the leading brands across these verticals, and is very active in the industry, having attended events across the world to continuously build upon his extensive network.
Industry ➡️ Consulting ➡️ Industry
Matt de Moraes, recently appointed Operations Director at Compass Box, takes us through his Retail & Consumer Goods career journey and shares his advice on how to smoothly transition from industry to consulting, and vice versa. From Sainsbury's to PwC, PepsiCo later on, and now his favourite boutique whisky brand, learn how Matt acquired his strategic, commercial and operational generalist skillset, and his top tips to becoming a business leader.
retail #career #consulting #leader #consumergoods
One of the most pressing challenges in our current world is how to combat burnout. Dr. David Plans, original founder of BioBeats and lecturer in Psychology at Royal Holloway University of London, shared his insights with Cristian Owen on the causes of burnout, how it specifically impacts men today, and if it can be prevented by technology. Although the recent surge of the syndrome can be explained through History, Anthropology, and Psychology, it may be time to look towards Digital Health as the key to cure it....
Over the past few years, the idea of free transit has been gaining a lot of attention, with over 100 cities globally adopting some form of free transport. But why is it so important? And can it contribute to a more equitable society?
Off-peak fareless transit, Universal Mobility Schemes, and challenges facing these concepts: tune into this episode of The Venari Podcast to learn from Joshua Schank, Managing Principal at InfraStartegies and former Chief Innovation Officer at LA Metro.
What are the factors that have driven the growth of telemedicine over the last years? If the recent pandemic seems to be the evident answer, Dr Harry Leider, who has been working with telemedicine for over a decade, argues that COVID doesn’t bear the sole responsibility for its exponential rise. From the various types of telemedicine companies to the limitations they face, learn from Gelesis Chief Medical Officer in this interview with Cristian Owen.
With over 100 million users across 450 cities, Citymapper has become one of the go-to public transit apps and mapping services, helping individuals get from point A to B around the world. Learn more about this innovative company, its customer-centric approach and what made Will Phillipson, co-founder of SilverRail technologies and former CTO at Kyte, join Citymapper.
In this episode of the Venari Podcast, Gov Kandola and Sanjay Vyas discuss cold chain logistics – what it is, advancements that have been made, and the challenges facing organizations operating within this space.
What does the future hold for gene therapy? Ben Brickell interviewed Jose F. Gomez and asked him about his career, his experience transitioning from Big Pharma to smaller biotech, and the current challenges facing the gene therapy industry.
Ridership recovery, expansion plans, sustainability initiatives, and the Olympic & Paralympic games?! It’s going to be a busy time for Metrolink!
Gov Kandola, Senior Consultant in Surface Transport & Logistics, got the chance to speak with recently-appointed Metrolink CEO, Darren Kettle.
Micro-warehousing, Big Data, & Sustainability... What does the future of last-mile delivery look like? Gov Kandola asked Daniel Levan-Harris, founder and CEO of Mango Logistics Group. Mango Logistics Group was founded in 2004 in the heart of London, providing end to end logistics solutions including warehousing, fulfilment and last-mile delivery services as well as UK next day and international courier services.
Cristian Owen, Senior Consultant in Digital Health, asked Kal Patel, CEO & Co-Founder at BrightInsight, about the challenges of recruiting and retaining talent in the current digital health market. Learn more about Kal's entrepreneurial leap of faith, the "Great Resignation", and Kal's advice to retain your talent.
Is the Great Resignation really happening? For the first episode of 2022, Gov Kandola had the pleasure of discussing this pertinent topic with Susan Frick, SVP Human Resources for a global shipping company. What it is, the knock-on effects for employers and the economy, and what could be done by businesses to help overcome this recent mass exodus.
Mike Arcamone, CEO of VersaCold Logistics Services and Gov Kandola discuss the temperature-controlled logistics service, how it was affected by the pandemic, supply chain issues and more!
Wais Shaifta, former CEO at Push Doctor, answered Cristian Owen's questions about Virtual Care. Is telemedicine as good as in-person consultations? What about the patient journey? And what does the future look like?
Will Christmas shoppers face empty shelves this year? Neel Jones Shah, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Airfreight at Flexport and Gov Kandola, Senior Consultant for Transport & Logistics, discussed the predicted supply chain shortages for this post-pandemic Holiday season.
Thinking about a career change? Unsure where to begin? Vieran Hodko & Gov Kandola discuss navigating a CAREER CHANGE during a pandemic. Find out how to begin your search, why Vieran considered his move and top tips for candidates thinking the same.
What is flexible automation? Are robots replacing humans in the workplace? And how far are we from “lights out” manufacturing, with completely automated processes? Mike Futch, CEO and President at Tompkins Robotics, answers Gov Kandola's questions about robotics in logistics.
Basic flight deck orientation has been taught the same way for over 80 years: via 2-dimensional cockpit posters. It is undoubtedly time to provide today’s modern pilots with the cutting-edge technology to match. This is exactly why VTR (Visionary Training Resources) builds virtual reality training products for pilots, giving them limitless opportunities, as they kinetically learn their aircraft and gain the muscle memory necessary to step into the full-motion simulator, ready to learn.
Following up on a previous episode of the Venari Podcast, James Parker continues his conversation with Joanna Aunon, Director at WiHTL (Women in Hospitality, Travel & Leisure).
This week, tune into The Venari Podcast and listen to Steve Browne and Jason Rieff's Q&A session! What are their top priorities while looking for the perfect candidate? Their pet hates when it comes to CVs? What about the most awkward situation they've faced during an interview?
In this episode of the Venari Podcast, James Parker, our Director of Transport, Travel & Logistics met Joanna Aunon, Director at WiHTL - Diversity in Hospitality, Travel and Leisure to talk about how companies can support their female talent.
Are you aiming to become a Lifestyle Brand? Are you matching the tone of voice of the brands your audience interacts with? If so, your approach is reactive. To make sure travellers automatically answer the question “where are you staying?” with your hospitality brand's name, you should strive to become a Lifestyle Choice. Turn into the subconscious go-to choice of your consumers by tapping into their core interests – not only into their demographics!
Gregory Slater, Secretary of Transportation for the Maryland Department of Transportation discusses the Purple Line project, a light rail line intended to connect the Maryland suburbs and the Washington metropolitan area. From the start, the Purple Line received national attention. For some, it is even an example of what can go wrong with a big transit public-private partnership. But is that really fair? And what are the future benefits of this line, for the wider community?
What societal challenges are lying ahead for transit in North America? From equity to climate change, Elliot G. (Lee) Sander and Gov Kandola discussed the future of the industry and the possible impact of the Biden infrastructure plan on tomorrow’s society.
Do you know the difference between a Millennial and a Gen Zer? With a $150 billion consumer spend in the US alone, and $35 billion dedicated to Hospitality each year, Gen Z is the latest hot topic among marketers – or at least, it should be! However, most luxury hospitality brands seem to struggle with this new target. Jason Rieff, a multi-award-winning branding expert, answered our questions about these topics.
For many companies, the pandemic has shifted the focus from traditional healthcare benefits to more inclusive and holistic wellbeing initiatives. The role of the HR leader is evolving. To keep your employees mentally and emotionally healthy – especially those going through major life transitions – Peppy is a game-changer. Ben Brickell, our Director of Life Sciences & Healthcare, met Mridula Pore and discussed how the Peppy app can help you support your workforce
In this episode of the Venari Podcast, Gov Kandola met Lee Sander. Lee shares his insight on the post-pandemic outlook for the North American transit industry. He is the former President of Bombardier Transportation’s Americas Region and the former CEO of the New York MTA. He also served on the Board of the National Express Group, most recently as Senior Independent Director.
In this episode of the Venari Podcast, Gov Kandola, Senior Consultant in Transport, Travel & Logistics, met Lee Sander, former president for Bombardier Americas.
In this first episode of a four-part series, Lee shares his insight on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the US transit and the challenges the industry will have to face to come out of this crisis.
In this episode of the Venari Podcast, we met Jennifer Fox, a successful female leader within the Hospitality industry.
Jennifer has been a leader in the hospitality industry for over 25 years. Pre-pandemic, Jennifer was spending up to 300 days a year travelling! Learn about her incredible career path, her ways of maintaining a healthy work-life balance and her advice to the next generation of Hospitality Executives.
At Venari Partners, we are passionate about driving positive change in the workplace. Are you looking for an innovative way to train your teams on D&I? diversitypop is the right move for you!
As proud users of the app, we want you to learn more about this disruptive way of training yourself and your employees. Together, let's make the workplace more inclusive!