Memoirs

The making of a CGT CDMO builder What I learnt Steve’s story starts with operations. Not the glossy kind, but the real kind. He grew up in Somerville, Massachusetts, started working in an Italian deli and restaurant at 14, and described how that environment shaped his grit, work ethic, and love of running a business. …

The Indiana boy driving CGT development Sean Werner has that calm, understated Midwestern style that instantly puts you at ease. But beneath that relaxed manner is someone who has built a career across science, regulatory strategy, cell therapy and leadership, from Eli Lilly to leading a spinout and then into BioLife Solutions after its acquisition …

From consulting stay at home dad to global CRO CEO Greg Plunkett’s story is a great reminder that some of the best businesses are not born from a grand plan. They evolve from capability, reputation, and being useful, then doing it again, and again, until it becomes a real company. He started in big pharma, …

From big pharma manufacturing lead to CDMO CEO Joerg Ahlgrimm’s story begins in East Germany. The wall came down when he was 16 and he described it as a life changing moment. Suddenly the world felt open. That shift shaped his mindset and you can still hear it in how he thinks today. Freedom, possibility, …

25+ years and 200+ plus deals – meet the prolific pharma dealmaker. Banks Bourne has one of those presences that quietly pulls you in. There is the Southern North Carolina charm. Warm. Friendly. Almost disarming. And then, very quickly, you realise you are talking to someone with extraordinary sharpness, intent, and depth shaped by decades …

The 30 year overnight success. From the outside, Julian Casciano’s journey could be reduced to a few milestones. IPO. Exit. Technology transformation. Private equity partnership. But as with most meaningful careers, the reality is far more layered. Julian’s path into healthcare was shaped by personal experience. His early corporate chapter at KPMG gave him structure …

The AI CEO changing pharma from the inside. Pep Gubau is one of those rare founders who carries deep technical brilliance lightly. He has built and sold two serious businesses, is now doing it again with Aizon, and yet speaks with a calm humility that makes you lean in rather than feel lectured. No chest …

The AI entrepreneur fighting against cancer Selin Kurnaz is clearly very smart. But what really stood out to me is how street wise and scrappy she is as an entrepreneur. There is nothing theoretical about how she talks about building a business. It is practical, direct, and rooted in reality. What I Learnt Entrepreneurship is …

25 plus years as a pharma focused PE fund Jim Gale has been investing in pharma services longer than most of us have even known what a CDMO is. As the Founding Partner of Signet, he has built a fund with true staying power. Five funds. Seventy deals. A consistent philosophy. And a calm, articulate …

The doctor who built a 1.4 billion euro business Thomas Dobmeyer began his career as a medic, not an entrepreneur. But his journey shows what happens when curiosity, courage and timing align in just the right way. From freelancing as a young doctor to co-founding a small regulatory consultancy, Thomas went on to build PharmaLex, …