Scaling Life Sciences and Healthcare Companies: Business Growth and Talent Strategies

The Kestria Healthcare & Life Sciences Global Practice Group has brought together four esteemed experts from around the world to explore the critical success factors shaping the sector - reflecting on key growth milestones, discussing leadership styles for agility in complex environments, examining strategies for balancing internal and external resources to scale effectively and uncovering how innovation and growth serve as powerful catalysts for enterprise valuation.

Key takeaways:

1. Agile leadership is essential for scaling - Life sciences leaders must adapt quickly, foster learning and lead with flexibility to scale effectively.
2. Balancing internal and external resources drives scalability - Mixing in-house strengths with external partners creates a balanced, sustainable growth model.
3. Innovation must be matched with execution to create value - Bold ideas only drive value when paired with strong delivery, clear goals and the right talent.

Key growth milestones: lessons learned

Janice Marie McCourt, CEO and Board Member leading Hudson Therapeutics, Inc., the US Subsidiary of Shaperon, Inc. a Seoul, South Korea, company reflects on the key milestones that have shaped her leadership journey across biotech and pharmaceutical ventures. 'Key milestones in my career include leading a joint venture between Abbott Labs (now AbbVie) and Takeda to profitability within five years. At the time, Takeda was still a domestic Japanese firm, and ours was the only successful JV out of four, later fully acquired in 2008 for $5 billion. I've also focused on attracting institutional and strategic investments into smaller biotech companies, helping one grow its market cap from $92 million to over $1 billion on NASDAQ through out-licensing.

Over 20 years, a $1.2 billion investment returned a $1.3 billion market cap and $100 million in profit—modest compared to peers. As CEO, my priority has always been building transparency with my executive team.

Early in biotech, I told the MIT-founder I wanted broad experience. Starting in sales and marketing, I moved into investor relations, comms and ops, including selecting a CRO for our Phase 3 trial. I trained at Harvard, Northwestern, and the National Investor Relations Institute to build the right expertise.

A mentor who valued structured development gave me both responsibility and support, one of the best career breaks I've had. Another came at UnitedHealth Group, working with top pharma firms on market access in a think tank setting. Both shaped the versatile skill set I rely on to lead in smaller companies.'

Magnus Jörlin, General Manager Euro-Nordics Hub at Novocure, Sweden, has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 20 years. 'Novocure is a medtech company where we rely heavily on Phase 3 clinical trial data. However, for me, a significant learning experience has been the entire market access work that we undertake. This involves starting up a market from scratch, where we need to navigate the different countries' systems to obtain, hopefully, national reimbursement. This has been a valuable learning opportunity not only for me but also for my teams.

My responsibilities cover the Nordics and Central Eastern Europe and the environment varies considerably between these countries. Nevertheless, there are many similarities. I believe that for growth, managing this effectively is very important for many companies. It requires securing the internal and external expertise needed to achieve the market access that is crucial for future success.'

Leadership style for agility & complexity

In biotech, founders lead identification and preclinical work, often with external help, through early clinical trials. Once trials begin, pharma and trial experts are needed. This shift must be planned early and communicated before investment, as management changes usually align with value inflection points. Early planning eases transition despite founders’ resistance.'

Aurélien Breton, Managing Director, India - Sri Lanka at Servier, India, shares his insights on what sets leaders apart in navigating growing complexity. 'A few years ago, I attended a meeting at Google where they discussed training managers to distinguish between complicated and complex problems - a distinction I found insightful. Complicated problems follow clear processes; A plus B reliably gives C. Even without knowing the method, experts can help navigate them. Complexity, on the other hand, is unpredictable - A plus B might lead to B, C or D, and next steps only become clear after observing outcomes. As business becomes more complex, leaders must embrace uncertainty, analyse results critically and adjust strategies based on evidence, not assumptions.

Too often, people rush to conclusions without considering broader context or key variables, overlooking hidden factors that influence outcomes. In today’s complex world, leaders need an analytical mindset to understand interconnections and what truly drives results.

One recurring pattern I’ve seen is people sticking to old practices simply because they’ve always done so. But methods that worked five years ago don’t justify their use today. To stay agile in a fast-changing world, we must reassess context and challenge established approaches, as today’s results won’t necessarily hold tomorrow.'

Magnus Jörlin explains how his leadership style adapted to remain effective as the scale strategy evolved: 'In recent years, I have focused on empowering leaders and ensuring they understand that it is acceptable to make mistakes and occasionally fail - provided we fail fast, as the saying goes. If we try something and realise it is not working, we must learn from the experience and move on. This, I believe, is essential, as the environment will always continue to evolve. Personally, I welcome change, but it requires a commitment to ongoing learning. This is not easy.

There are also significant cultural differences between countries, which play a major role. As a Swede, I sometimes need to make an extra effort to demonstrate leadership and reassure my teams that failure is acceptable - so long as we learn from it. For me, the most important qualities are curiosity and a mindset of continuous improvement.

While I can say this and lead by example, it ultimately comes down to recruitment. We must hire individuals who already possess this mindset, as there is only so much we can teach - some of it must come from within. That is why I consider recruitment a critical factor in building adaptive teams.'

Balancing internal & external resources: building scalable organisations

Aurélien Breton addresses the classic build-versus-buy decision in the context of resource allocation—deciding what to develop internally and what to outsource when scaling. 'Personally I lean toward the "build" approach. It creates stronger, more reliable and more sustainable organisations in the long run. Of course, this only applies if the decision is strategic and focused on what is core to the organisation’s long-term success.

The "buy" approach offers advantages in scale, speed and flexibility. In India, we work with many contract manufacturing organisations - externalised factories that often provide good quality and diverse technical skills. In such cases, it makes sense to “buy,” selecting the right CMO partner for your needs.
However, outsourcing can pose challenges, especially around quality and long-term partnerships. Striking the right balance is crucial, with your core business elements guiding the decision.

There’s also a third approach - “buying” to eventually build internally. For example, launching a major oncology portfolio in India requires specialised expertise and deep market knowledge. We’re hiring experienced professionals and then internalising those capabilities. This hybrid approach offers a meaningful alternative to the traditional build-versus-buy model.'

Market research shifted from qualitative to quantitative, including conjoint analysis, which Amgen later used for publication strategy. Manufacturing moved from a CDMO to Amgen, so experienced execs were brought in to manage production and regulatory. Our team successfully delivered and transitioned the program to Amgen.'

Innovation & growth as catalysts for enterprise valuation

Théo Risopoulos shares his perspective on how, as a strategic partner, he influences and guides the innovation and growth roadmap of the companies he supports. 'I value the term strategic partner - passive investment is outdated. If a fund doesn’t actively support growth, that’s a red flag. Capital alone isn’t enough; companies that don’t engage investors to co-create value risk stagnation.

Growth is driven through the board - management, investors and independents. While management runs daily operations, a strong board steers the company toward value milestones.

As Janice noted, companies aim to maximise shareholder value. We help life sciences firms connect early with pharma and medtech leaders who’ve faced similar challenges, shaping clear, industry-aligned goals that attract partners.

In biotech and medtech, where ambition often exceeds resources, early priority-setting is key. Strategy may evolve, but early dialogue builds buy-in. Growth comes from collaboration, not control, and efficient boards make the difference. For me, there are two key points:

• Board composition must balance management and investors, with independent directors, ideally market-savvy or former entrepreneurs, bridging the two. These individuals often join after early introductions and provide critical objectivity, helping reconcile differing perspectives.
• Effective boards address key challenges ahead of meetings. When members are well-prepared, discussions stay focused. Poorly prepared boards, by contrast, face disorganised sessions where issues emerge too late for resolution.'

Magnus Jörlin reflects on why innovation, while essential, must be matched by strong execution to truly drive impact and growth: 'From my perspective, innovation is fundamental and lies at the core of everything we do, often centred on scientific and technological development. However, without strong execution and capable teams to translate innovation into patient outcomes, progress stalls.

Innovation forms the foundation for growth, but strategic execution is equally critical. Without it, innovation never reaches its intended impact. Our goal is to achieve both: breakthrough innovation paired with flawless execution.

Bringing innovation to life commercially starts with recruitment, combining experienced leaders with curious talent who generate new ideas and adapt quickly. We must learn from mistakes and continuously evolve.

It’s a complex challenge, and while I don’t have all the answers, we learn as we go and draw insights from successful companies and leaders across industries. Ultimately, having the best science is crucial, but reaching the market and patients requires an equally strong commercial approach.'

'I used executive search firms and personal networks to secure key hires across manufacturing, clinical, regulatory, commercial and finance. These executives led the Steering Committee with Amgen in a co-development deal. Balancing internal oversight with outsourced support was critical during the Phase 3 pre-launch. Market research evolved to include quantitative methods like conjoint analysis, later used by Amgen in its publication strategy. As manufacturing transitioned from a CDMO to Amgen post-NDA filing, experienced leaders ensured continuity. The team retained oversight of Amgen’s 50% investment, enabling us to communicate the co-development valuation post-IPO - boosting our market cap to $1.8 billion before approval.'

Aurélien Breton highlights emerging pharma opportunities and how companies can stay ahead of the curve: 'From our Paris HQ, my message to R&D is clear: while pharma innovation has come from the US, Europe, and Japan, with China rising, India is set to drive the next major wave. India produces 27,000 STEM PhDs annually, has approved two cell therapies, and is becoming a hub for cell and gene therapy. Its pharma sector, strong in generics, is advancing in biologics and biosimilars, supported by growing R&D investment. Over the next 5 to 15 years, India will drive a larger share of global innovation.

The challenge is how to engage and embed in this ecosystem. This requires partnerships with academia, research centres and local stakeholders. Internal resources alone won’t sustain long-term growth. As Theo noted, capital investments, direct or via partners in Indian biotech, may be needed. Understanding the ecosystem is key to spotting opportunities early.

Responding to Magnus’s point on key individuals: during a regulatory review of an oncology molecule, unclear messaging caused major issues. Hiring a seasoned Medical Affairs Director clarified communication. Within weeks, they re-engaged the regulator and secured approval in hours, avoiding a potential two-year delay.

This experience highlights a fundamental truth: innovation and impact often depend on having the right people in the right roles. Their presence can alter the entire trajectory of a project.'

Summary

Scaling in healthcare and life sciences demands more than innovation - it requires adaptive leadership, strategic resource allocation and execution excellence. Whether navigating regulatory hurdles, entering new markets or building resilient teams, the companies that thrive are those that balance bold ideas with operational discipline. The shared experiences of these leaders reveal a common thread: growth is not just about speed but about making the right decisions at the right time, with the right people.

The Kestria Healthcare & Life Sciences Global Practice Group is a trusted partner for organisations advancing health and innovation. We deliver high-impact talent committed to saving lives. Our specialist consultants blend deep industry expertise with global insight to support critical growth - clinical, commercial, regulatory, or operational. We connect clients with agile, purpose-driven leaders shaping healthcare’s future.