Deborah Dunsire on leading in today’s biopharma landscape

In this episode, we talk to Deborah Dunsire, board chair at Neurvati Neurosciences, multiple times board member, and a former CEO of Lundbeck. With more than 3 decades of experience, Deborah has navigated organizations of every size through change, uncertainty, and opportunity.

We explore what it takes to lead in today’s biopharma landscape - from rolling up your sleeves in biotech to streamlining decisions in big pharma, and from balancing short-term survival in a capital-constrained environment to laying the groundwork for long-term innovation. Deborah also shares insights on the interplay between boards and executive teams, the pitfalls of wishful thinking in drug development, and why engaging beyond the four walls of a company is essential for shaping the future of the industry.

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:08 - Guest introduction: Deborah Dunsire
01:51 - Growth experiences
03:40 - Lessons big pharma and biotech can learn from each other
12:51 - Behind the strategy table - strategic leadership in biopharma
23:22 - Navigating the biotech “winter” - prioritization & survival strategies
32:22 - Beyond the company - ecosystem engagement and policy influence
43:27 - Diversity, leadership and women in pharma
53:54 - Final reflections and book recommendations
56:07 - Reflections and takeaways

If you want to connect with us - we would love to hear from you:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cures-capital-podcast

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If you want to connect with Deborah Dunsire:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahdunsire/

Disclaimer: This podcast and activities related to it are completely independent from our day jobs. All the views and opinions expressed through this channel are solely our own and do not represent or in any way reflect the views and opinions of the companies we work for.