In this episode, I talked with Dr. András Strassz, Chief Medical Officer at Heidelberg Pharma, to hear about his two decades of leadership in oncology drug development—and the often-overlooked realities behind building teams, designing clinical trials, and making biotech work.

András opens up about key moments in his career, including the personal crisis that almost forced him to leave the industry, the turning point when he stepped into his CMO role, and what it really takes to develop first-in-class ADCs with novel payloads.

We also dive deep into industry-wide mistakes—why promising clinical programs still fail because of poor design, how pressure and under-resourcing distort decision-making, and why senior leadership continues to overlook culture fit when hiring.

András also shares behind-the-scenes insights into Heidelberg’s development of amanitin-based ADCs, what makes their team culture unique, and why “good enough” just isn’t good enough when you’re trying to build something from scratch.

(Find out more in the episode.)

Here’s What You’re In For

• Why culture alignment should outweigh credentials when building teams
• How to spot red flags in hiring—even before the offer stage
• What good leadership looks like in biotech—and what it never forgets

Timestamps

02:18 – Why he left clinical practice and how he got his first pharma job at J&J

05:38 – Career highlights: relocating from Hungary and becoming CMO

09:09 – Career low point: near job loss during relocation and how he handled it

11:01 – Burnout in his first role and the health consequences of overwork

13:38 – Overview of Heidelberg Pharma’s ADC platform

15:58 – What defines the people and culture at Heidelberg

18:51 – Biggest industry mistakes: bad study design, rushed decisions, outdated models

26:00 – Hiring reflections: CV vs culture fit, and how interviews often mislead

About András

Dr. András Strassz is the Chief Medical Officer of Heidelberg Pharma, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for targeted cancer treatment. András specializes in early clinical development, focusing on oncology and hematological oncology. He has experience working in both Big Pharma, namely JnJ, Amgen, Novartis, and Biotechs - Polyphor, Affimed, and his current company, Heidelberg Pharma across three countries: Hungary, Germany, and Switzerland.

Outside his professional stint, his hobbies are DIY, hiking, and cooking. We have know each other for a while now, always appreciated András honesty, humour and insights and he is here to join me today - welcome.

Connect with András

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/András-strassz-md-mba-a03a1147/
• Heidelberg Pharma: https://heidelberg-pharma.com/en/

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. Steven Katz, CMO and SVP of Translational Science for Shinobi Therapeutics, a biotech company pioneering off-the-shelf immune-evasive IPSC-derived cell therapies, and Professor of Surgery at Brown University. We get into why technical skills alone won’t cut it—and how the wrong hire, even if they look great on paper, can quietly derail an entire team. We talk about the pressure to stick with “proven” endpoints (even when they don’t fit the science), the temptation to play it safe, and how a quiet sense of nihilism can creep into teams when things aren’t going right. We also dig into what it’s really like managing a global biotech team, and how to make it work without losing your mind.

Steven is a trained surgical oncologist and associate professor at Brown University, Steven has spent his career helping patients with solid tumors—from removing liver and pancreatic cancers in the OR to pushing the limits of immunotherapy in biotech. He was previously CMO at Trius Life Sciences.

Here’s what you’re in for:

• What happens when you don’t clearly define what you’re hiring for
• How bad hires can quietly fracture entire clinical programs
• Why the “safe” development plan isn’t always the smartest—and when to take the risk anyway

TMI: Things You Didn’t Know About Steven

• Loves tennis, history, and TRX workouts
• Favorite thing in London? The West End theater scene (avoid: kids on Netflix!)

Timestamps:

04:06 – Lessons from surgery that shaped his biotech career

08:35 – Advice to surgeons and doctors considering a move to biotech

13:20 – Why IPSC is so promising for oncology and autoimmune disease

17:00 – Culture clash or culture strength? Japan–US dynamics at Shinobi

22:30 – When internal alignment falls apart

24:35 – Playing it safe vs. doing what’s right

26:19 – Common mistakes Steven still sees in biotech

30:15 – The problem with drug delivery in solid tumors

31:00 – Best and worst experiences with recruiters

33:08 – What happens when you hire the wrong person

34:46 – Final question: What is Steven most grateful for in his career

About Steven

Dr. Steven Katz is the CMO and SVP of Translational Science for Shinobi Therapeutics for Shinobi Therapeutics, a biotech developing off-the-shelf, immune-evasive, iPSC-derived cell therapies, and Professor of Surgery at Brown University. He has dedicated his career to helping patients with solid tumors in the operating room and developing novel immunotherapy solutions for those beyond the reach of current standard-of-care options.

Outside of his professional stint, he spends time with his children, doing TRX workouts, playing tennis, reading history and of course joining me on this podcast - welcome.

Connect with Steven:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katz-steve/
• Website: https://www.shinobitx.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...

In this episode, I talked with Christian Mueller, Chief Development Officer at Immutep. Christian’s path into biotech wasn’t exactly planned—from summarizing VC business plans during his studies to becoming a driving force behind the world’s first Claudin 18.2-directed antibody.

We talked about the wins and the setbacks: from finally securing Pembrolizumab supply after years of rejections, to those painful moments when you give your all to a project, and still feel unseen. Christian also opened up about hiring, leadership, and what makes a biotech team truly work (or fall apart). He shared why Immutep has gone all-in on LAG-3, what makes their international culture different from most, and why knowing your weaknesses might just be the most underrated leadership skill.

And to wrap things up, we threw in a few quickfire questions, from the book he’s reading (featuring octopuses!) to what he tries to do every single day to stay sharp.

Here’s what you’re in for:

• The red flag that made Christian walk away from a company
• Why great hiring is about cultural fit, not just perfect CVs
• What small biotechs misunderstand most about recruitment

Timestamps:

01:54 – From Economics to Biotech: How VC Summaries Led to Drug Development

07:41 – Career Lows: Feeling Undervalued and Facing a Regulatory Near-Shutdown

13:48 – Why LAG-3? The Science and Conviction Behind Immutep’s Strategy

14:34 – Inside Immutep: Low-Ego Culture, Fast Decisions, and Argument-Driven Thinking

17:00 – Hiring With Humility: The Culture Fit That Matters Most

22:47 – Cultural Fit Over Credentials: What Hiring Managers Really Want

33:44 – Quickfire Questions: Books, Octopuses, and Trying New Things

About Christian

Christian Mueller currently serves as the Chief Development Officer at Immutep, where he has been instrumental in advancing the company's lead compound, Efti, from Phase I through to Phase III clinical trials. ​Prior to his tenure at Immutep, Christian led the clinical development of Zolbetuximab, the first-ever CLDN18.2-directed antibody.

Christian brings a unique multidisciplinary mindset to his work, describing himself as a “translator” between different scientific and operational domains. Outside of work, he is a lifelong basketball fan and enjoys spending time in nature

Connect with Christian

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-mueller-05199481/
• Immutep: https://www.immutep.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: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/
• Website: https://www.discera-search.com/

Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company...