Namir Hassan, Zelluna

Why do people with a sense of service make better leaders?

How do you walk into the boardroom – on the cusp of clinical trials – and tell them the strategy is set to fail?

And what does it mean to go from CSO to CEO on the brink of a pivot?

Today I’m joined by Namir Hassan, CEO of Zelluna based in Oslo, Norway. Zelluna is developing next generation off the shelf cell therapies to address huge unmet needs like solid tumours in oncology.

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

1:32 A personal connection to cancer

4:12 From scientist to CEO: answering the call

4:25 Service as a leadership philosophy

6:58 Leading through a high-stakes pivot

15:25 Stepping into the unknown: leading outside your expertise

19:50 The challenges facing biotech leaders today

21:49 Activity is not progress

24:25 The biotech ecosystem in Oslo

27:51 Why solid tumors are so hard to treat

32:15 What the ecosystem needs to address solid cancer

34:58 A call for steady, accountable leadership