Q: Can you talk briefly about your professional experience prior to joining Amrop and how it’s helped you shape your career within the company and Amrop's Global Life Sciences & Healthcare Practice? 

A: Prior to Amrop, I worked for almost 30 years in several industries, covering all HR positions and ultimately serving as VP/HR Director for different businesses and organizations. My experience includes pharma and medical devices and was essential for understanding diverse environments and cultures. I have worked for Italian, American, and British companies operating in Italy, including multinational organizations and family-owned businesses, which helped me appreciate the different cultural mindsets. In 2002 I moved into the consulting/recruiting role; for more than 20 years I have focused on the pharma sector while also managing processes in general industry. I have worked with CEOs, General Managers, and senior leadership teams across operations and business functions in Italy’s pharma industry – for companies such as Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Amicus Therapeutics, Baxter, Pfizer, Alfasigma, Schwabe, LEO Pharma, BMS, and Boehringer Ingelheim, where I led multiple projects for various senior positions at these multinational and large Italian pharma companies. 

Q: What changes, in your experience, has the sector undergone in the recent years and how has that affected the strategies and directions that the organizations within it take? 

A: We see significant changes in pharmaceutical industry in recent years. It’s one of the pillars of the European and global economy: in Europe alone it is a €500 billion industry, employing around 1 million people, while recent R&D investment has been around €50 billion. Several factors come into play. First, competition from the Far East, particularly China and South Korea, is intensifying, both in new molecules and in biotech. Biotech and advanced technologies require strong investment and a different approach to development. Technological progress is therefore crucial: the use and analysis of data, and associated investments, are increasingly important for companies. Forecasts for the coming years predict annual growth of roughly 5–6%, so the sector should continue expanding. At the same time, the pharma industry, especially in Europe, is highly regulated, which can create constraints relative to other countries. Overall, the environment is changing and becoming more technology- and data-driven, with growing importance of AI and advanced analytics - that also means that there are new skills and qualities required of managers and board members. 

Q: In your view, what are the essential qualities for leadership roles within the Life Sciences & Healthcare sector?  

A: Leaders in the Life Sciences field must be familiar with digital issues, AI-driven personalized medicine, and drug development based on big data. Data are critically important, and collaboration with other organizations is necessary. We need leaders with cross-functional, collaborative leadership approach who can work with biotech teams; therefore, in addition to scientific experience, engineering and business development skills are valuable. Other important aspects include social responsibility and ESG, which are highly sensitive. Leaders in the pharma industry must pay attention to ensuring equitable access to medicines for patients in different regions. The business is becoming increasingly complex, so we need leaders who are comfortable living and working within that complexity. Also, in all research and development domains, data and artificial intelligence are widely used, therefore leaders should possess both intuition and strong expertise in data management and AI. 

Q: What is your process for assessing whether a candidate is a good fit for the sector? 

A: I focus on the candidate’s ability to manage people and complex situations. When selecting leaders for the life sciences industry, including pharma, biotech, and medical devices, I look for candidates who understand the drug life cycle: research, clinical studies, regulatory submission, market access, and commercialization. 

Important qualities include:

• Strong awareness of compliance, pharmacovigilance, and ethical issues
• Familiarity with market dynamics and reimbursement economics
• Ability to lead and collaborate across cross-functional teams, balancing business and scientific needs
• Openness to change and continuous evaluation, since the pharma industry is rapidly evolving
• High integrity and patient-centered decision making, since health and patient safety are central
• Attention to detail, precision, and comfort working in highly regulated environments at both national and European levels.

Other than that, it’s important to remember that competencies matter, but they’re not everything. If someone holds a Business Unit Director position, I take it for granted that they have the skills to do so and I limit myself to carrying out a few checks. Much more important is knowing the person well enough to judge whether they meet the requirements to succeed within a particular client organization and culture. Never assume that a candidate who wasn’t hired by one company will automatically fit another. Companies differ, and such matches are rare.