Justice Group Advisors

I help biotech leaders succeed in high-stakes roles by leveraging their strengths and addressing what holds them back—so they can lead with greater influence and impact.

🌐 justicegroupadvisors.com

Founder | Executive Coach for Biotech and HR Leaders

Minnesota State University, Mankato

Committees: Governance and Membership, Grants.
As a member of the Board of Directors, I provide strategic guidance and oversight to enhance the University's ability to help students, faculty, and programs by encouraging and stewarding sustained philanthropic support.

Foundation Board Director

I guest lecture on the intersection of brain science, behavior, and leadership—making complex ideas accessible and applicable. My sessions help students connect the dots between theory and practice, especially in biotech and HR.

With a background in behavioral psychopharmacology and executive roles across life sciences, Medical Affairs, and HR, I bring a practical, real-world lens to every class. As a coach, I help leaders earn and embrace their seat at the table—and I bring that same focus to the classroom.

I especially enjoy speaking with MBA students, future HR leaders, and those building careers in biotech.

Guest Lecturer

Advanced Therapies

Advisory Board Member

Enspira

As one of the founding members of Enspira's advisory board, I provided strategic guidance and insights from inception through its acquisition by LEAD3R. Leveraging my expertise in human capital management, talent development, startup growth, and life sciences, I played a pivotal role in fueling Enspira's growth and development. I'm here to provide strategic guidance and support as an advisor to startups in need. Let's connect to explore how I can help your venture thrive.

TCR² Therapeutics Inc.

Executive Team | Board Engagement | People & Medical Affairs Leadership

C-suite leader with a dual mandate: People Strategy + Medical Affairs.

At TCR2, I partnered with the CEO, Board, and executive peers to scale the company through rapid growth, market shifts, and global uncertainty—while also stepping in to lead Medical Affairs during a critical period.

Key contributions:

Board Relations: Presented quarterly to the Board; led Compensation Committee and participated in Nominating & Governance. Built Director fluency on talent priorities, DEI, and organizational risk.

Talent & Succession: Strengthened succession planning and retention by identifying future leaders early and ensuring readiness for key roles.

Manager Development: Built a practical, behavior-focused system that helped people managers grow into confident, influential leaders—laying the foundation for what became The Leadership Lab.

Comp Strategy: Secured Board approval on high-profile initiatives (e.g. Equity Exchange), balancing shareholder expectations, regulatory complexity, and business needs.

DEI Results: Tripled representation of people of color and doubled women in senior leadership; diversified the Board.

Medical Affairs: Assumed functional leadership—growing internal capabilities, increasing scientific publications, expanding congress presence, and elevating patient and KOL engagement.

Culture & Leadership Brand: Sponsored company-wide culture strategy and giving program. Made leadership development a visible strength of the company—helping managers grow into trusted, strategic leaders.

Chief People Officer & Head of Medical Affairs

Surgery Partners, LLC

Executive Team | Board Partnership | Post-Acquisition Integration

Executive leader during a period of rapid transformation, M&A activity, and CEO succession.
Led people strategy across a national network of surgical facilities—guiding cultural integration, talent strategy, and executive transitions during complex change.

Key contributions:

Board Relations: Presented quarterly to the Board; led CEO succession strategy and supported transition from CEO to Chairman and COO to CEO. Partnered with the Compensation Committee to align pay with performance and introduce long-term retention incentives (LPUs).

Comp & Benefits: Launched a Total Rewards strategy that shifted the culture toward performance—while saving 15% in benefit costs and overcoming legacy systems and resistance.

M&A & Scale: Supported $100M+ in annual M&A activity. Standardized people ops and implemented scalable tech infrastructure to integrate acquisitions and generate talent insights.

Org Design & Efficiency: Led post-merger organizational design and cultural integration—improving efficiency, unlocking a $7M run-rate savings, and creating cross-functional alignment.

Leadership & Talent: Introduced enterprise Talent Reviews that increased internal mobility, reduced agency spend, and shortened time-to-fill—driving shared ownership of leadership pipelines.

HR Team Strategy: Transformed HR into a strategic partner and made talent acquisition a core capability. Built a strong leadership bench and led a successful internal successor transition.

Culture & Inclusion: Strengthened engagement across 32 states and 125 sites—spanning surgeons, hospital CEOs, and hourly teams. Improved Glassdoor ratings from 2.6 to 3.9 and moved retention scores to the top quartile.

EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer

Biogen

HR Leadership Team | Enterprise Risk Committee | CEO Learning Committee Lead

Built and led Biogen’s global learning function—transforming fragmented efforts into a strategic advantage.

Led a $30M enterprise learning portfolio supporting R&D, Commercial, Manufacturing, and G&A teams across global sites.

Key contributions:

Enterprise Learning Strategy: Unified siloed training teams into a high-impact global function—establishing learning as a strategic driver of performance, innovation, and retention. Delivered $12M (34%) in savings while earning industry recognition for best-in-class design.

Change Leadership: Championed the company’s most successful IT-HR implementation—a global Learning Management System—by enrolling champions, aligning stakeholders, and leading cross-functional execution entirely through influence.

Leadership Reach: Chaired the CEO’s Learning Committee and contributed to enterprise risk planning—elevating learning as a business lever, not a support function.

Chief Learning Officer

Medical Affairs Leadership Teams | R&D Quality Council

Led global learning for Medical Affairs across multiple therapeutic areas and regions—building scalable capabilities to support pipeline and launch success.

Key contributions:

Global Team Leadership: Managed a $9M budget and led a US- and Switzerland-based team with affiliate partners in EU and APAC. Built scalable systems and capabilities to support growth.

Launch Readiness: Delivered learning strategies for 5 international product launches across 3 therapeutic areas—focused on the knowledge and behavioral shifts required for commercial success.

Risk-Aligned Governance: Shifted organizational posture from one-size-fits-all compliance to value- and risk-based learning decisions—partnering closely with Legal, Regulatory, and R&D.

Senior Director, Global Medical Excellence  /  Director, Medical Training

EMD Serono, Inc.

Neuroscience Portfolio | MS Franchise | Clinical Development Support

Built trust with key scientific leaders and turned field medical into a strategic force—advancing clinical trial engagement and shaping medical strategy.

Key contributions:

Scientific Engagement: Cultivated relationships with medical thought leaders and supported trial site development to advance MS portfolio objectives. Led advisory boards to inform Medical Affairs strategy.

Field Leadership: Recruited, developed, and led a high-performing MSL team covering two-thirds of the U.S.—consistently exceeding performance benchmarks.

Recognition & Impact:
– Received the company’s highest Commercial honor (President’s Award)—the first Medical Affairs team member to do so.
– Appointed to the FDA Advisory Board strategy task force to support a key NDA advancement.

Program Strategy: Managed the operating plan and external education budget—driving field readiness and alignment with corporate goals.

Associate Director, Medical Science Liaisons (MSL)  /  Sr. MSL  /  MSL

National MS Society

Strategic Turnaround | Board Engagement | Revenue Growth

Led cross-functional teams and strategic initiatives to strengthen performance, partnerships, and revenue.

Built and led Chapter Programs, Marketing, Communications & Public Relations, and IT departments.

Developed strong partnerships with key stakeholders including neurologists, scientists, allied health professionals, and corporate partners.

Led Board of Trustees, staff, and volunteers in creating and implementing a 5-year strategic plan that transformed the chapter from underperforming ($5M, lowest rating) to top-performing ($10M, highest rating).

Transformed an informal auxiliary fundraising group into a structured and cohesive Junior Board with aggressive fundraising goals—growing revenue by 66% in year one ($163K → $270K).

Created new revenue streams and governance for corporate partnerships with biotech and pharma companies.

Executive Vice President  /  Vice President

McKinsey & Company

Consultant | Strategy & Operations

Led client engagements with senior executives and operational leaders to drive growth, reduce costs, and implement scalable strategies.

Designed governance model and operational strategy for the National MS Society. Conducted benchmarking, surfaced best practices, and partnered with board and staff to assess high-impact opportunities.

Built and rolled out a performance management program and asset tracking system for a major medical device company—boosting productivity by 20% ($2M) and cutting capital expenditures by $3M.

Developed a shared services strategy for a franchise-based retailer spanning multiple business lines—generating 12% near-term savings ($105M) and a self-funding transition roadmap.

Management Consultant

Strategy doesn’t fail in the boardroom.

It fails in the trenches — when leaders can’t align, decide, or adapt fast enough.

And when that happens, execution stalls, trust erodes, and opportunity slips away.

I’m Angela, and I work with executives and HR leaders to close that gap — building sustainable leadership capacity so strategy turns into results that last.

The leaders I work with aren’t stuck because they lack capability.
They’re stuck because they’re navigating high-stakes roles where expectations are big, pressure is constant, and the path forward isn’t always clear.

Outcomes are high-consequence. Relationships are multi-dimensional. Decisions don’t have obvious answers — but they do have lasting impact.

That’s where I come in.

Sometimes that means executive coaching for senior leaders.
Sometimes it means working with leadership teams, or partnering with HR to scale development across the organization.

I bring a mix of science, strategy, and lived executive experience — from a PhD in neuroscience, to consulting with McKinsey, to serving at the C-level in biotech across both Medical Affairs and HR.

The result?
Leaders who grow as fast as their business challenges — and organizations where strategy doesn’t stall but turns into sustained impact.

What senior leaders say:

“25 years into my career, and the 6 months I worked with Angela was a transformative experience.”
— CPO, Global Biotech

“Angela is a rare strategic thought partner. Coaching with her transforms how you think, act, and lead.”
— CEO, Life Sciences

“Having worked with several coaches, I can confidently say Angela is top-tier.”
— SVP & Board Member

“Working with Angela was a turning point. I’m leading with more influence, impact, and ease.”
— VP, Global Biotech

Aaron just worked himself out of a Chief Manufacturing Officer role.  

On purpose.  

That was his goal from day one.  

Ran into him and Chirag at #AdvancedTherapiesUSA last week—both former colleagues from my TCR2 days.  

We spent most of the time catching up on people:  
- Where former teammates have landed  
- What they're building  
- How careers have shifted  

Cell therapy has been brutal this past year. The whole industry has.  

A lot of good people have been in motion—some by choice, some not.  

But what struck me wasn’t the turbulence. It was how Aaron and Chirag have approached building—and leaving.  

Aaron set out to build a function so strong he could step away.  

For most leaders, working yourself out of a job is unthinkable.  

For him, it was proof the system worked.  

Chirag kept circling back to succession planning—not as an exit strategy, but as a leadership responsibility.  

The question that stuck with me:  

👉 Are you building people who need you, or people who are ready when you’re not there?  

That takes intentionality. And the confidence to let go.  

The industry will always be volatile.  

But the people who thrive aren’t the ones who make themselves indispensable.  

They’re the ones who build:  
- Systems  
- People  
- Momentum  

...that keep moving—with or without them.  

They stay adaptable.  
Keep learning.  
Build optionality—not dependency.  

And they stay connected:  
To each other.  
To the work.  
To the people who matter.  

It reminded me of something I wrote recently for BioSpace:  

"When the path you built disappears, the question isn’t ‘Do I stay or go?’ It’s ‘What am I building toward—and does this still serve it?’"  

https://lnkd.in/efTkRdQr

Any company would be lucky to work with these two remarkable leaders.  
Good to see you both. Keep going.  

Are you building people who need you—or people who are ready when you’re not there?  

---
💙 P.S. Calling all TRuCers—who’s up for a reunion in 2026? 
🎤 Karaoke perhaps (Robert Tighe, Erika Gleason, Carly Pirro... looking at you)?

Angela Justice, PhD

Executive Coach for Biotech Leaders | Strategic Partner to HR & L&D | Creator of The Leadership Lab

Aaron Vernon, Angela Justice, PhD and Chirag Khatiwala smiling in front of wall of white roses and Advanced Therapies USA sign.

At senior levels, the behavior that built your career is often the one that stalls it.

If decisions can't be made until you weigh in… 
If the work slows down when you're out… 
If your calendar is wall-to-wall problems other people should be solving…

That's not proof of your value.

It's evidence that you've built the ceiling you're now bumping against.

The cost of being "essential" goes deeper than most leaders realize.

You don't just slow your team's growth — you prevent it.

And from the outside? Peers, your CEO, even your own team will eventually see the truth: the system can't scale because you haven't let it.

But here's the part most leaders never say out loud:

The reason it's so hard to let go isn't about control.
It's about identity.

I wrote about the question that unlocks the shift — and what changes when leaders move from being indispensable to being strategic.

Read it here👇🏻

I'll never forget the moment a VP I was coaching — deeply respected, high-performing, indispensable — sat back and said quietly: "I'm terrified they'l

Open article: When Your Team Can't Function Without You, You're Not Leading — You're the Bottleneck by Angela Justice, PhD • 4 min read

When Your Team Can't Function Without You, You're Not Leading — You're the Bottleneck

🎃 A Halloween coffee catch-up with “Satan” and “Angel” ☕️ 

Throwback to our TCR² days when Stan accidentally (or was it on purpose?) mistyped our names in a company communication — transforming Stan and Angela into “Satan” and “Angel.” 

Stan was in Boston this week, so we met for coffee, and given it’s Halloween, it didn’t take long before the old “Satan and Angel” joke resurfaced. 😈😇

He thought we should settle it with a poll (which sounds a little devilish if you ask me). I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

So… who’s really the angel here? 

Let the Halloween fun begin! 🎃

Angela and her former TCR² colleague Stan sitting at a café table with coffee. Angela has digital angel wings and a halo, while Stan has red devil horns and a tail — a fun Halloween nod to their ‘Satan and Angel’ typo story.

Angela and her former TCR² colleague Stan sitting at a café table with coffee. Stan has digital angel wings and a halo, while Angela has red devil horns and a tail — a playful Halloween edit referencing their old nickname mix-up.

I’m on the hunt for my next great read.

Something I can’t put down — compelling characters, beautiful writing, not too heavy.

The kind of book that makes me glad I stayed up way too late to finish it.

What’s a favorite of yours?

While I wait for your recs, here’s one of mine. Not fiction — but a game-changer if you want to tell better stories:

📘 Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller

Here’s why it’s worth your time:

If you’ve ever struggled to explain what you do — in an interview, a pitch, a meeting — this book is a masterclass in clarity.

Most people start with their resume, their process, their backstory.

Meanwhile, the person listening is quietly wondering: “What’s in it for me?”

StoryBrand flips the script. It helps you craft a message that’s clear, simple — and shows how you solve the right problem for the right people.

Whether you’re:

 – job hunting and want to stand out
 – leading a team and need buy-in
 – struggling to get people to see the value in your work

This book teaches you how to make your message land — not by selling yourself, but by showing how you help.

Now. Back to fiction.
What should I read next?
Drop your recommendations in the comments.

Angela Justice, PhD, executive coach, smiling and holding up the book Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller, with the cover facing the camera.

Open roles are down 28% year over year. 
Yet 81% of employed biopharma professionals still plan to look for a new job.

This chart looks like a hiring story. 
It’s actually a leadership one.

BioSpace reports the steepest decline in live jobs in nine quarters.

Layoffs are up. Openings are scarce.

And yet 81% of employed biopharma professionals still plan to look for a new job.

That combination — less opportunity, more movement — points to something deeper than market dynamics.

It’s about trust.

When people can’t see what’s coming, they start scanning for exits.

So the leaders who’ll keep their best people right now aren’t the ones promising stability — they’re the ones being transparent about uncertainty.

📊 Data: BioSpace Q3 2025 Job Market Report

#Biopharma #Leadership #JobMarket #BioSpace #ExecutiveCoaching

BioSpace data chart showing biopharma job postings down 28% over two years. Shared with insight by Angela Justice, Justice Group Advisors.

“I thought we were friends.”

That’s how one person described the days after being laid off — when the hardest part wasn’t losing the job, but the silence that followed.

People she’d worked beside for years went quiet.
Not out of cruelty, but out of discomfort.

I’ve read so many versions of that same story lately.
The first hit is the layoff.
The second is realizing how few people reach out.

Most of us want to say the right thing — we just don’t know what that is.

This short guide shares a few ways to show up when a colleague is laid off:
✅ What to say
✅ How to help
✅ And how to make it easier for both of you.

Carousel below 👇

💬 What’s one small thing that made a difference for you during a layoff?

🔖 Save this so you’ll always know what to say — and share it with someone who wants to show up better, too.

#Leadership #CareerTransitions #EmpathyAtWork #Layoffs

How to Help After a Layoff | Justice Group Advisors

"I didn't leave biopharma. Biopharma left me."

She said it like she was describing a breakup she didn't see coming.

Fifteen years in.
Hard things done.
Teams that trusted her.

Then priorities shifted.
Restructuring followed.
And the path she'd built disappeared.

She hasn't stopped believing in the science.
She's just not sure there's still a place for her in it.

She's not alone.
56% of employed biopharma professionals are considering jobs outside the industry.
Among the unemployed? 81%.

Will they actually leave? Maybe not.

But the fact that they're asking "Do I still belong here?" — that's the story.

In my latest for BioSpace (thanks Angela Gabriel), I break down a different way to think about staying:

Not as a binary choice.
As a portfolio you build, rebalance, and protect over time.

Because belief in the mission doesn't protect you.
But strategic choice might.

Read it here: https://lnkd.in/e_e2agD3

Know someone wrestling with this question?
Send it their way.

Open article: Fork in the Road: What To Do When Your Biopharma Career Goes Off Track by biospace.com

Fork in the Road: What To Do When Your Biopharma Career Goes Off Track

Your calendar is chaos.
Your team keeps asking questions they should already own.

And you’re left wondering — how did I become the bottleneck?

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: it’s not a time management problem.
You’re just leading at the wrong altitude.

You’ve realized that being the person who gets it done isn’t enough anymore.
Because every gap you fill sends a message:

“This leader isn’t ready to scale.”

Your team assumes you’ll cover what’s missing.
Your peers assume you’re maxed out.
Your CEO starts to wonder if you can handle more — or if you’ll burn out trying.

But here’s what changes everything:
Executive-level leadership isn’t about doing more work.
It’s about making sure the work you do carries strategic weight.

Every time you step in to “help,” you trade visibility for utility.
And the cost compounds.

Five shifts that show you’re operating at the executive level:

1. Skip the “quick touch base” (it’s rarely quick)

2. Only weigh in at your altitude — stop tweaking decks your Directors own

3. Let them stretch, then coach the recovery

4. Narrate the why when you step out (“I’m not joining because I want you to lead it”)

5. Track what only you can move — scan your calendar weekly

The hardest part?
These shifts feel risky when you’ve built your reputation as the reliable solver.

But if you keep showing up as the solver, you’ll never be seen as the strategist.

That’s the trap.
And it’s one you can escape — with intention.

So here’s the question:
👉 What’s one meeting you could skip this week to signal trust in your team?

—
🔔 If this hit home, follow for more — and share it with someone who needs to hear it too.

🔗 Want to go deeper? I wrote more about this in my article: When Doing More Stops Working: The Leadership Shift That Stalls Even Top Performers: https://lnkd.in/e2fEvHtP

if you keep showing up as the solver, you’ll never be seen as the strategist

Thrilled to be joining the stage at Advanced Therapies USA 2025 this November in Philadelphia.

It’s an extraordinary group of leaders shaping what’s next in science and business — and I’m looking forward to the conversations that happen between the sessions just as much as the ones on stage.

In addition to my featured talk, I'm also chairing a panel that you won't want to miss:

Company Creation in ATMPs: From Breakthrough to Build-Out

Featuring: Eric Hacherl, Fiona Miller, Petter Björquist, Hernando Lopez-Bertoni, Lauren Martz, Susan B. Nichols, and Sareina Wu.

We’ll explore a central question:

What does it really take to turn a scientific advance into a scalable ATMP business—and who needs to be at the table from day one?

If you’ll be there, let’s connect.

#biotech #atmp #advancedtherapies

Bringing together life science leaders through world-class conferences | Content Director at Terrapinn

🎆 SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT!!! 🎆 

We are delighted to welcome Angela Justice, PhD, Founder, Justice Group Advisors to our stage for the upcoming Advanced Therapies USA 2025 Congress taking place this November in Philadelphia!

For more information about Angela Justice please see below:

Dr. Angela Justice is an award-winning C-suite executive, Board member, executive coach, and keynote speaker dedicated to aligning strategy-to-mission and organization-to-strategy. From her early days as a McKinsey-trained management consultant to the boardrooms of biotech, healthcare, and patient advocacy groups, Angela brings a broad and informed perspective to strategy creation. Her remits have spanned early discovery to commercialization having supported 5 international product launches and multiple therapeutic areas including neuroscience and oncology. 

She is versed in cell & gene therapy, biologics, and biosimilars and understands the nuances and complexities of each. Her deep expertise in human and organizational behavior has benefited organizations ranging from start-up to multinational, ensuring successful execution across a variety of business, social, and cultural contexts. 

Recognized as a trusted advisor, culture creator, and talent whisperer, she consistently produces measurable results by building winning teams and implementing progressive solutions to drive value throughout the corporate lifecycle. 

For more information about all of our 200 speakers and the congress please go here: https://lnkd.in/g55Ywp2u

#pharma #biotech #atmp #cell #gene #advancedtherapies 
#healthcare #lifesciences

Grateful to have joined Deciphera Pharmaceuticals for Career Development Day.

This year’s theme — 1% More Curious — captured something powerful: how small shifts in curiosity can open big opportunities.

Even better, it doesn’t stop there. I deeply believe that a concept this meaningful can’t live only in a workshop. 

Deciphera is taking it further — embedding curiosity into an ongoing campaign designed to keep those insights visible, practical, and alive in daily work.

That’s what real development looks like: not a single event, but a system that reinforces the behaviors that make growth possible.

#Leadership #Biopharma #LearningCulture #ExecutiveCoaching

Last week, we hosted leadership coach Angela Justice, PhD, for our annual career development day.

This year’s theme, 1% More Curious, helped our colleagues unlock new opportunities within themselves and our business by embracing curiosity in their career journeys.

At Deciphera, we are committed to the development of our employees and hold ourselves #accountable for their ongoing success. From our employee-led culture groups to learning programs and events like this one, we believe that investing in our people is just one of the things that makes #TheDecipheraDifference.

#CareerDevelopment #ProfessionalGrowth

I still remember the committee meeting where I got absolutely crucified.

Fresh out of McKinsey, armed with what I thought was airtight analysis, I confidently recommended cutting a legacy program.

High cost, low ROI.

The numbers were perfect.

What I missed: the emotional weight.
It anchored key stakeholders and carried symbolic power for our mission and identity.

My boss, Pam Swenk, had tried to warn me beforehand.

But she let me walk into it anyway — on purpose.

Because she knew that lesson would land deeper than anything she could've told me in her office.

That brutal experience taught me one of the hardest shifts senior leaders make:

𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵 — 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆.

You want to protect your team. But shielding them from stretch moments blocks their growth.

And yours.

The lesson I learned that day has saved me more times than I can count.

Now I share it with every leader I coach.

𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

💬 What’s a mistake that became your greatest teacher?

And if you’re navigating your own stretch as a senior leader —
👉 I shared 5 shifts that helped me (and the execs I coach) scale their impact without burning out: https://lnkd.in/eyNMGPf3

𝗣.𝗦. 𝗣𝗿𝗼-𝗧𝗶𝗽: Before any big meeting or stretch moment, ask: “𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺?” 
https://lnkd.in/gjWv4HnV

Design for that.

Text graphic on a light blue background with the words “What’s one mistake you’ll never forget — and never let your team repeat?” in bold black font. Created by Executive Coach Angela Justice, PhD of Justice Group Advisors.

Most biotech founders lose investors in the first five minutes.

Not because the science is weak. 
Because they're answering the wrong question.

Founders pitch scientific defensibility. 
Investors evaluate commercial execution risk.

Academia trains you for the former—while creating blind spots for the latter.

At #AdvancedTherapiesUSA, I moderated a panel on turning scientific breakthroughs into scalable ATMP businesses.

Six perspectives. One recurring question: 

When does the science become company-ready—and who decides?

What stuck:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 — 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.
Investors want to know if the business can scale—not just if the science works. Founders need to prove commercial thinking early.

"𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆" 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀. Manufacturing partnerships, quality systems, regulatory strategy—these aren't "figure it out later" problems. They shape scalability.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱.
Turning personalized therapies into scalable platforms requires infrastructure that handles complexity at volume. Most companies stall here.

𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟬 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟬𝟬.
Early hires signal what your company values—and that imprint is hard to undo.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 — 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁. 
The founders who win think like a business from the beginning.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲.
The biopharma community is full of people willing to share what they've learned. Conferences like this provide real connection and wisdom from those who've already navigated the build-out.

The gap between breakthrough and build-out isn't just capital. It's translating scientific rigor into commercial clarity.

Big thanks to Eric Hacherl, Lauren Martz, Susan B. Nichols, Hernando Lopez-Bertoni, 吳瓊媛 Sareina Wu, and Petter Björquist for the conversation. What did I miss? Please add below. 

And thanks to Chris Shanks and team for another stellar conference and creating space for these conversations. 

What's one thing you've learned about the gap between science and business—either by living it or watching it play out? 👇🏻

Everyone’s talking about leadership complexity — but the best Chief People Officers are moving past the diagnosis and into solutions.

In my recent conversations with CPOs across biopharma, one answer keeps coming up:

Functional expertise might open the door — but business acumen is what drives results.

Karen Lewis shared a powerful insight: 

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 — 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣.

Karen is helping translate that belief into practice — transforming leadership development from a training exercise into a real-world strategy for performance.

Here is what she says is working:

→ 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 that surface dependencies early — preventing slowdowns before they start.

→ 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀 that make trade-offs explicit — linking decisions directly to strategy.

→ 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 that build confidence and sharpen judgment where it matters most.

The result: leaders who don’t just understand their function — they understand the business, the market, and how to move both forward.

👇🏻 For biopharma leaders: How are you helping your teams build true business acumen — not as a skill, but as a way of leading?

Let’s compare what’s actually working.

quote: "The strongest leaders don’t just understand the science — they understand the business the science lives in." with  Justice Group Advisors logo in bottom left corner.

Most leaders I know don’t need another goal. They need permission to dream again.

Years ago, I came across an exercise called The List of 100 Dreams, created by career coach Caroline Ceniza-Levine.

The idea is simple: write down 100 things you want to do, learn, create, or experience in your lifetime.

Not achievements. Not goals. Just dreams.

It’s harder than it sounds. Most people stall out somewhere around #27.

That’s when the real dreaming begins — when you stop editing yourself and start writing what you actually want.

It resurfaced during a coaching conversation with a leader who’d forgotten what it felt like to dream without a deadline attached.

A few things on my own list that have since come true:
– Starting a business.
– Creating and installing an art exhibition.
– Learning to scuba dive.
– Creating a 100% handmade holiday.
– Learning to crochet.
– Perfecting the art of cabbage rolls.

Some are big. Some are small. All of them meaningfully improved my life (yes, even the cabbage rolls).

This weekend, I’m making a new list. Because the act of dreaming — of naming what you want — changes how you move through the world.

Have you ever tried it? What’s the craziest dream on your list?

Most leaders think trust breaks when they deliver bad news.

But the real damage happens earlier—
In the silence.
In the weeks when people sense something shifting... and no one says a word.

This article is about that moment.

🟡 Why silence feels safe to leaders—but erodes trust
🟡 What employees actually want during uncertainty
🟡 How to lead when you don’t have all the answers

If you’re leading through change, this one’s for you.

Read the full piece 👇

Two months ago, in Practical Perspectives (Issue 13), I wrote a piece called Truth or Dare — about how upside-only storytelling backfires when reality

Open article: Why Leadership Silence Erodes Trust — Even Before the Bad News Hits by Angela Justice, PhD • 3 min read

Why Leadership Silence Erodes Trust — Even Before the Bad News Hits

I stopped drinking for three months.

As an experiment.

My A1C was creeping up. I wanted to see what would change if I removed one variable.

But I know my own wiring.

So I didn't just remove something—I redesigned it.

Ten weeks in, the results surprised me.

But the bigger insight isn't about alcohol—it's about how behavior actually changes. For anyone. For leaders. For teams.

Tomorrow's newsletter breaks it all down.

Subscribe now to get it in your inbox tomorrow.
https://lnkd.in/evX8tHd8

P.S. I also share some of my favorite alcohol alternatives.

PPS:  Before you say, “Well, no surprise given your Cadbury Mini Eggs and candy corn habit…” you’re not wrong. But those are twice-a-year indulgences.🙃

Open article: The Secret to Success? Experimentation by pages.justicegroupadvisors.com

People don't want a handout.  
They want a handhold.  

Something steady until they're ready to offer the same to someone else.  

That's the principle behind a model I built.  

It started with a single conversation.  

Someone in my network had been laid off.  
Months of searching, no traction.  

I offered a free coaching session.  

Afterward, she insisted on paying me.  
I told her no.  

But her insistence stuck with me.  

People don't want charity.  
They want to contribute - even when they can't afford much now.  

So I built a model around that.  

How it works:  

A biopharma leader in transition gets a 60-minute strategy session.  

They pay a small admin fee to protect both our time.  

Once they land their next role, they're invited to sponsor a session for someone else.  

When that sponsorship is used, I let them know.  

They see the ripple.  

It's self-renewing.  
It's dignified.  

And in a year where nearly 40,000 people have been laid off in biopharma, it feels important to keep a few spots open.  

This industry's generosity runs deep - even in the hardest times.

"People don't want a handout.  
They want a handhold. " quote with justice group advisors logo
 

High-pressure day? I’ve got a coffee-stained 3x5 notecard that saves me every time.

It’s my “Go-To Good” List — a handful of simple actions that reset my energy, clear the mental fog, and help me show up how I want to.

I use it myself.
And I share this tool with nearly every executive coaching client I work with.

I can’t tell you how many texts I get that say:
“Just pulled out my list — worked like a charm.”

Mine lives on a coffee-stained notecard in my desk drawer.

Why it works:
✔️ No overthinking — just pick and go.
✔️ Quick wins rebuild momentum.
✔️ It’s an intentional pause — not a total stop.

In leadership, recovery is part of performance.
Having a go-to list means you don’t have to decide how to reset — you just do it.

👀 Can anyone even read my list?
💬 What’s one thing on yours?
👇🏻 Let’s build a few new ones together.

Photo of a handwritten “Go-To Good” list on a coffee-stained notecard, with quick mood-boosting actions like "step outside," "text a friend," and "deep breath." A simple, personal tool for energy and mindset resets — used by the author and shared with executive coaching clients.

📉 October saw the lowest number of biopharma layoffs this year — just 1,677.

That’s a sharp drop from September.
But if you were one of the 1,677?

That statistic doesn’t soften the blow.

It doesn’t help you explain the gap on your resume, renegotiate your visa, or figure out how to tell your kids.

And in those first moments after a layoff, what someone says to you?
It can land like a gut punch — or a lifeline.

That’s why I wrote this:

👉 𝟱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗼’𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗢𝗳𝗳 (and what to say instead)

🔗 https://lnkd.in/eJCUqpPw

💬 What’s something someone said or did that actually helped you during a layoff?

Your comment might help someone else get it right.

If you work in this industry, someone in your network has been impacted — or will be.

♻️ Reposting this might help them feel a little less alone.

Thanks to ﻿Angela Gabriel﻿ and ﻿BioSpace for continuing to track and share this data.

Bar chart showing monthly biopharma layoffs in 2025 through October. Layoffs peaked in September at 11,777 and dropped sharply in October to 1,677 — the lowest all year. Each bar represents lives and livelihoods impacted across the industry.

Would you leave the U.S. for the right biopharma job? 🌍
You’re not alone — and the data shows why.

Fascinating new piece by Angela Gabriel in BioSpace explores why more biopharma professionals are open to relocating abroad.

I had the opportunity to contribute my perspective — because I believe this shift highlights just how competitive global biotech talent has become, and why companies need new strategies to attract and retain it.

The real question is:

➡️ How will companies keep top scientific and operational talent inspired — and onshore?

➡️ And what will professionals do to find the environments that truly value innovation and growth?

Would you consider moving abroad for the right biopharma opportunity — or do you believe innovation thrives best when rooted locally?

Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/ejjtgebQ

📊 (Graphic: BioSpace poll, October 2025)

#Biopharma #LifeSciences #Leadership

BioSpace poll results: 5% left the U.S. for biopharma jobs, 64% stayed, 31% are considering leaving (October 2025). Article features Angela Justice of Justice Group Advisors

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