Episode 5

Marc Gitzinger, BioVersys

Published on: 28th May, 2026

Why is self-awareness the secret ingredient to good leadership?

How do you let go of a critical early team member?

And what does it take to found a company during your PhD?

Today I’m joined by Marc Gitzinger, CEO of BioVersys, a biotech based in Basel, Switzerland. BioVersys is a leader in the anti-infective space, developing new antibiotics for very highly drug-resistant infections.

About LifeScience ORG

It’s no secret that Europe is a global leader in generating translational science. We’re grateful at LifeScience ORG to have a community of over 400 life science CEOs – leaders driving change in biotech, medtech, techBio and healthcare.

The conversations inside our community – stories of conviction, navigating challenges, and making bold decisions – inspire us every week. To hear the stories, lessons, and experiences of our life science leaders, listen to A Call to Lead @ LifeScience ORG, available on all good podcasting platforms.

Chapters

01:16 — From the Lab to the Boardroom

02:51 — The Naivety That Gets You Started

04:08 — When the Board Asks the Impossible

09:12 — Managing Up: Working With Your Board

11:42 — Try Before You Buy: Choosing Independent Directors

15:25 — Three Experts, One Decision

17:05 — A Culture of Calculated Risk

19:05 — A Hub Unlike Any Other

20:40 — The Antibiotic Paradox

25:14 — Stigma, Silence, and Resistant Infections

35:15 — The Mirror Test

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About the Podcast

A Call to Lead @LifeScience ORG
Sharing the leadership journeys of life science entrepreneurs shaping the future of healthcare.
A Call To Lead is a series shining a light on the leadership, vision, and impact of European life science CEOs who are proving that world-class ventures don’t need to be built in Boston to shape the future of healthcare.

Each episode features a one-on-one conversation with a European life science CEO and member of the LifeScience ORG community. Our conversations are not about companies or pipelines; instead, guests reflect on their personal journeys, the pivotal choices that shaped their careers, and the future they are helping to build. These kinds of insights are rarely shared publicly.

New episodes are released every Thursday.