In this episode, I spoke with Gertjan Bartlema, the co-founder Populus Bio and CEO of Immodulon Therapeutics. Over 20 years in big pharma at Celgene/Amgen and then moved into the fast pace world of biotech. From here, he has been challenging the status quo and asking the question “Is our current drug development approaches sustainable?”. Gertjan highlights the need for better clinical trial designs and the importance of making objective decisions based on data. He also offers valuable insights for aspiring executives on leadership and team dynamics.

Here's what you're in:

• How many drugs fail end-points due to Bad Leadership?
• Why does Gertjan believe sequential and traditional drug Development can kill innovation within Drug Development?.
• What advice does Gertjan give to those wanting to become a CEO?

Timestamps:

02:53 The Abraxane Course Correction

06:03 Gertjan’s Journey into Life Sciences

10:40 Leaving Celgene and New Ventures

15:50 Bayesian Statistics in Clinical Studies

19:27 Mistakes Companies Are Still Making Today

25:38 The Ambitious People

35:46 Advice for Aspiring Executives

About Gertjan

Gertjan Bartlemais co-founder of Populus Bio and current CEO of Immodulon Therapeutics which is running cancer trials focusing on a broad spectrum immunomodulator. He is a global biotech executive with extensive experience in EU and US operational roles and he is a member of founding Celgene EMEA management establishing EU footprint and launching Revlimid. Prior to joining Immodulon, he was the Chief Business Officer of Vico Therapeutics, and spent 12 years with Celgene, where he led the trial of Revlimid. Gertjan holds MSc in Economics from Maastricht University.

Connect with Gertjan

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertjan-bartlema/

Populus Bio: https://populusbio.com/

Immodulon Therapeutics: https://www.immodulon.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 his 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 discuss the three most common reasons hiring managers reject candidates, focusing on aspects that are often within the candidate's control. I highlight the importance of cultural fit, alignment of interests, and clarity in communication during interviews. I give tips to improve your interview performance and avoid common pitfalls that lead to rejection.

Here's what you're in:

• How cultural fit can be influenced by candidate behavior?
• How using vague terms like 'strategy' can lead to misunderstandings?
• Why building rapport with interviewers is crucial for success?

Timestamps:

01:09 Background Story

03:37 Not a Good Cultural Fit

07:29 Candidates Going To Get Bored/ Not Hands-on Enough

12:01 Not Giving Straight to the Point Answers

16:52 Summary

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 his 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/

In this episode, I talked with Caroline Vermeulen, Recruitment & HR at Eminence, as she discussed into the details of the hiring process, highlighting the value of putting candidates first. She gave insights on common mistakes in recruiting, the importance of authenticity in communication, and the relationship between hiring managers and recruiters.

Caroline and I also shared stories of both our best and worst hiring experiences, emphasizing out the need for clear expectations and good communication. Our conversation wraps up with a round of quickfire questions, providing more tips on recruitment best practices.

Here's what you're in:

• What are the most common hiring mistakes and how does that affect things later on?
• How long should a CV be? How long should an interview be?
• To give or not to give controversial feedback to candidates?

Timestamps:

01:50 Introduction and Career Background

03:16 Caroline's New Mission: candidate-first

06:19 Common Mistakes in Recruitment Processes

09:31 Importance of Authenticity in Communication

11:11 Communication Strategies with Hiring Managers

16:35 Building a Smooth and Clean Recruitment Process

22:43 Best and Worst Experience in Recruitment

34:00 Quickfire Questions and Insights

About Caroline

Caroline Vermeulen is a Recruitment & HR at Eminence. She has an educational background of Bsc in Life sciences/Biotechnology, has over a decade of experience in the industry, including early-phase trials for generics, cell and gene therapies, immunotherapies, and pain medications, and has helped over a thousand candidates find jobs as a recruiter. Transitioning from agency to corporate recruitment, she faced challenges due to the complexities of corporate structures and the challenges in communication. Now, she is excited to launch her new business, candidate-first.com, focused on delivering quality candidate responses.

Connect with Caroline

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinevermeulen1/

Website: www.candidate-first.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 his 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.