In this episode, I talked with Dr. Kevin Heller, former biotech CMO and now advisor to VCs and funds, who’s built his career at the intersection of science, leadership, and investment. Kevin started out as a pediatric hematologist–oncologist before joining BMS, where he worked on one of the first checkpoint inhibitor programs. Since then, he’s held senior roles across biotech and now works closely with companies and investors on strategy.

Kevin opened up about the habits that nearly held him back early in his career, how a colleague’s honest feedback changed the way he leads, and why the quiet moments in meetings often say more about culture than the loud ones.

He also shared about today’s funding climate—why raising money feels tougher than ever, what investors really look for, and why every company needs a clear plan for when things don’t go as expected. And outside of biotech, Kevin’s focus is on mentoring the next generation of scientists through the Society for Science, an organization he’s been deeply involved with for years.

Here’s What You’re In For

• The subtle warning signs of a weak culture (and why silence is the biggest one)
• The kind of questions investors ask now that many companies aren’t ready for
• How mentoring young scientists through the Society for Science has become Kevin’s way of giving back

Timestamps

00:58 – How Kevin moved from academia into industry

06:00 – The colleague who bluntly told him to be quiet

10:20 – What Kevin has seen change in biotech fundraising over the past few years

12:34 – The advice he gives to early-stage companies heading into investor meetings

16:15 – What most outsiders don’t realize about being on the investment side

17:54 – What “culture” actually means to him, and why bad leadership kills it

20:14 – The subtle early signs of a broken culture: silence in meetings

26:48 – Kevin’s involvement with the Society for Science and mentoring future scientists

About Kevin

Kevin Heller is a former biotech CMO and a current advisor to funds and VCs. He serves as Investment Team Advisor at an equity fund investing in biotech. He is a Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist, and began his career at BMS where he contributed to the development of YUR-VOY.

He has held CMO roles at several biotech companies, worked on numerous early-stage programs (including at Incyte), and continues to influence the field through his advisory roles.

Kevin serves as a mentor, judge, and council member of Society for Science, a nonprofit that promotes science literacy and runs major student science fairs worldwide, in his way of giving back to the mentors who guided him early in his career. For him, it’s about inspiring the next generation to see science as something they can own and shape.

Connect with Kevin:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-n-heller-8bbb985/
• Society for Science:https://www.societyforscience.org/

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment, I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch my firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East

In this episode, I talked with Dr. Carl Deutsch, Chief Scientific Officer at NBE Therapeutics, where he shared about his path from chemistry into pharma and the lessons he’s learned along the way. Carl recalls how difficult it was to secure his first role when jobs were scarce, the pressure of multiple interview rounds, and how a non-linear career path led to both opportunities and doubts about fitting the expected mold.

He discussed the differences between biotech and big pharma cultures, what it means to lead in a “cultural sandwich” role, and why accountability and agility look different depending on the environment. Carl also spoke about age bias in hiring, the importance of curiosity during interviews, and the kind of toxic hiring process that made him withdraw his application early in his career.

He explained why he looks for “band members” instead of “rock stars” when building teams, how character matters more than buzzwords or tick-box credentials, and why blinded CVs often miss the real story behind a candidate. And, in a lighter moment, Carl answered a series of quick-fire questions—from his habit of quoting movies, to the kinds of conversations he avoids, to the advice he’d give to someone starting out in the industry.

Here’s What You’re In For

• The benefits and challenges of a non-linear career path
• Why networking often matters more than a “tick-box” CV
• Why blinded CVs fail to capture the real story behind a candidate

Timestamps

02:20 – Scarcity and the First Job Hunt

05:10 – Non-Linear Careers and Self-Doubt

07:00 – The CV Tick-Box Trap

14:00 – Leading in a Cultural Sandwich

17:00 – What Biotech Culture Really Means

20:00 – Hiring for Accountability and Fit

23:00 – Age Bias in Pharma Hiring

30:00 – Band Members vs Rock Stars in Building a Team

32:00 – Why Blinded CVs Miss the Story

33:30 – Quick-Fire: Movie Quotes, Habits, and Career Advice

About Carl

Dr. Carl Deutsch, Chief Scientific Officer at NBE Therapeutics. A chemist by training, Carl earned his PhD in Dortmund, Germany, and went on to broaden his scientific horizons in the U.S. and Japan. He later added a business edge to his profile with an MBA from Mannheim Business School and ESSEC Paris.

Carl played a key role in the development of Mercks first in-house antibody-drug conjugate, M9140, and also helped drive innovation as an intrapreneur, launching an award-winning project under Merck Life Science. Since 2022, he has been leading scientific strategy at NBE Therapeutics.

Outside the lab, Carl has a creative side, he once took the stage as a member of an acting group and joining wild podcasts like mine.

Connect with Carl:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-deutsch-phd-mba-82ba28168/
• NBE Therapeutics: https://nbe-therapeutics.com/

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment, I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch my firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn:

In this episode, I talked with Dr. Aleksandra Filipovic, CMO at Gallop Oncology, a biotech developing first-in-class galectin-9 antibodies for solid tumors and blood cancers. We talked about how perfectionism shaped her early leadership, and what it took to undo it. She shared her take on hiring by “gut feel,” why that can quietly reinforce bias, and what she looks for instead.

Aleksandra also opened up about her childhood—growing up with two cancer-researcher parents, skipping school to attend medical conferences—and how that path eventually led her to leave Serbia with a six-month visa and no real plan. That risk turned into a 20-year career in the UK, and a leadership journey she never could have mapped out.

She once brought a pipette to school for show and tell. These days, she reads nervous systems before resumes, believes leadership is about repair—not perfection—and says her job is to “love a drug into existence.”

Later this year, Aleksandra will be leading a workshop at the Society of Integrative Oncology Annual Meeting in Boston on October 27, 2025, alongside her colleagues Dr. Anna Yusim and Dr. Steve Bierman. The session, “Creating a New Kind of Intelligence in Oncology Practice” will explore neuro-somatic intelligence, noetic medicine, and mental health in oncology and biotech. CME credits and a full training curriculum will be provided. More information below.

Here’s what you’re in for:

• Why she’s grateful her career didn’t go according to plan
• Why hiring based on “gut feeling” can lead to prejudice if you’re not careful
• How perfectionism quietly seeps into leadership

Timestamps:

02:00 Childhood in a Cancer-Obsessed Family

06:30 Why She Left Serbia With No Job and No Plan

09:00 When Your Career Goes “Wrong”, and It’s the Best Thing That Happens

16:45 Interview Advice: “Don’t Perform—Be Honest”

21:30 What Falls Apart When Hiring Goes Wrong

23:30 The Danger of “Gut Feel” in Leadership Hiring

33:00 What It Feels Like When Your Childhood Perfectionism Takes Over at Work

36:00 How She Regulates Herself as a Leader—and Teaches Her Team To Do the Same

39:00 The Workshop: Neurosomatic Tools for Oncology Professionals

About Aleksandra:

Dr. Aleksandra Filipovic is the Chief Medical Officer at Gallop Oncology, where she leads oncology asset sourcing and preclinical to clinical development strategy. With a background as a clinical oncologist and a PhD in Cancer cell biology its safe to say she knows a lot about this area.

Prior to joining Gallop, Aleks still acts as the head of oncology for PureTech health and prior to this she was with BMS and also consulted for Astrazeneca. She is a practicing clinician from Imperial College London, sits on the board of a global oncology educational platform sharing progress in cancer care and hosts a podcast “Into the Body” with Dr. Alex for OncoDaily. She practices applied neuro-somatic-intelligence with cancer patients and applies these same principles in biotech leadership.

Connect with Aleksandra:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandra-filipovic-md-ph-d-0b63441b/

From Our Guest — Upcoming Workshop for Oncology Professionals

Are you in the oncology field, feeling the weight of burnout and seeking ways to enhance your patient care within the limited time you have in clinic? Reconnect to the core of your work with our upcoming workshop.

Join Dr. Anna Yusim, @SteveBierman from Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, and myself for an impactful session in Boston on October 27th from 8-9:45AM. This workshop is a part of the Society for Integrative Oncology...