Talent Therapy

In Episode 23 of Talent Therapy, we connect with Amy Akillian, Life Sciences Talent Advisor. We discuss using intuition to create dynamic recruiting processes, AI and technology enablement, transparency as a branding strategy, and finally current market trends. Amy brings 25 years of talent advisory and acquisition experience to table. Her commitment to understand the true needs of her clients, partners, and candidates, coupled with her market knowledge and intelligence deem her a true expert for any organization looking to fully realize their full potential.

In Episode 22 of Talent Therapy, we connect with Naji Gehchan, Head of Global Development at Eli Lilly. We cover his motivation to practice medicine, combining care and discipline within leadership, how to strategically hire and develop talent as an executive, as well as inspiration for his own podcast (spreadloveio.com). His innate motivation to help others via medicine, and his experience translating this motivation into leadership, make this a special listen for any leader looking to optimize from both a people and technical perspective.

In Episode 20, we connect with Conor Sullivan, Associate Director & Head of Talent Acquisition at Harbinger Health. We cover his strong scientific foundation, the nuances between selling vs. recruiting to candidates, his unique career trajectory, and the importance of leveraging partners at critical junctures. Conor's deep understanding of science, his passion for people, and operations oriented approach make him a fantastic resource for anyone looking to add structure and depth to their current talent attraction process.

In this episode, we talk with Pat Heffernan, Associate Director of Talent Acquisition at Deciphera Pharmaceuticals. We cover his quick progression into TA leadership, leveraging the knowledge and experience of senior team members, along with optimizing talent partner selection. Pat's innate productive and positive style, coupled with pragmatic approach make him not only a great friend and colleague to those around him, but also a top-tier dynamic leader in the making.

To kick off season 2 of Talent Therapy, we connect with Ian Ide, Vice President of Talent Acquisition and People Analytics at Foundation Medicine. We cover his 30 year career including 25 years from agency and search, as well as why and how he landed at his current role at Foundation Medicine. We discuss navigating talent acquisition in a down market, the importance of talent optimization, attrition dynamics and quality of hire. Ian's deep thinking and multi-faceted approach, coupled with his market knowledge and understanding of leadership's talent motivations, make this episode especially interesting.

In our final Talent Therapy episode of Season 1, we connect with Shaun Vigeant, Vice President of Talent Acquisition at Intellia Therapeutics. We cover his career path from agency recruiting and sales, all the way through building a robust TA program from nearly scratch at Intellia. He comes to us with nearly 20 years of recruiting and TA experience from organizations such at Biogen and SharkNinja. Shaun's commitment, communication prowess , and willingness to leverage his teammates' expertise deem him a best in class talent leader.

On Episode 16 of Talent Therapy, we connect with Abbey Wolff, Director and Human Resources Business Partner at Servier Pharmaceuticals. We cover her journey from advertising sales to TA and ultimately HR. She comes to us with 15 years of agency recruiting, and life sciences talent experience from organizations such as Philips, Merck, CAMP4 Therapeutics and TCR2. Abbey's thoroughness and thoughtfulness, coupled with her plethora of talent experience make her an excellent partner and advisor for any growing life sciences organization.

On Episode 15 of Talent Therapy, we connect with the dynamic James Ellis, Chief Brand Builder at Employer Brand Labs. We cover his evolution from various marketing and digital strategy roles into employer branding, as well as the reality of effective employer branding. He comes to us with 25 years of marketing, branding and leadership experience. James' deep understanding of candidate psychology coupled with his modernized marketing strategies make him an authentic partner for any biotech looking to differentiate and legitimize their employer brand.

On Episode 12 of Talent Therapy, we connect with Sam Collin, Talent Acquisition & HR Manager at Surface Oncology. We cover Sam's entry into recruiting, transitioning from TA to HR, leading culture, and agency relationships. Sam comes with nearly 10 years of talent experience from agencies and internal TA functions. Her direct and down to earth angle, along with her diverse experience gives great advice for anyone looking to make the transition from agency to TA and HR.

On Episode 11 of Talent Therapy, we connect with Liz Molano, Head of People and Culture at Orna Therapeutics. We cover Liz's transition into recruiting and TA, current and previous hiring markets in biotech, navigating growth as a small organization, and optimizing TA Infrastructure for your growth phase. Liz comes with nearly 15 years of talent experience from rapidly growing organizations, start-up companies, and RPO. Her thoughtful and encompassing perspective, along with her focus on productivity and flexibility make her a trusted advisor for any growing organization.

On Episode 10 of Talent Therapy, we connect with Kosta Haveles, biotech talent acquisition strategy and search consultant. We cover Kosta’s career path from the early days of candidate data mapping, his journey into the biotechnology space, as well as the importance of being versatile throughout your career. Kosta comes to us with 25 years of talent strategy and recruiting experience from both start-ups and large organizations, including Foundation Medicine, Valo, Albireo Pharma, and Rhythm Pharmaceuticals. Kosta’s diverse background from agency, tech, and biotech, along with his experience touching virtually every function within TA make him a highly respected expert in our field, with an invaluable perspective.

On Episode 9 of Talent Therapy, we connect with Michael Conway, Head of Talent at BlueRock Therapeutics. We cover topics including Mike's introduction to recruiting, values based interviewing techniques, the candidate experience, and leveraging internal leaders to increase effectiveness. Mike comes to us with 13 years of talent experience from rapidly growing mid-size organizations, large companies, and agency. Mike's intentional approach of incorporating company and candidate values, while simultaneously streamlining the TA experience for all parties involved creates a robust model for any talent operation looking to evolve.

On Episode 8 of Talent Therapy, we connect with Kate Rushton, Head of People at GentiBio. We cover topics including Kate's introduction to recruiting, starting up a TA function and team from scratch, how recruiting is evolving, and how important inter-organizational relationships are to the success of a growing company. Kate comes to us with well over a decade of corporate TA and HR experience from large companies, mid-size organizations and start-ups. Her approach and perspective bring an ideal balance of how intelligence and authenticity can create a great candidate and employee experience.

On Episode 7 of Talent Therapy, we connect with Kelly Burke, Principal Recruiter and Talent Acquisition Consultant at Work In Biotech. We cover topics including Kelly's work as a PhD and her transition into recruiting, leveraging her education to interview candidates, and utilizing technology to maximize recruitment. Kelly comes to us with a PhD in Chemistry from CalTech and an extensive amount recruiting experience as both an RPO consultant and an in-house senior talent acquisition partner. Kelly's insight gives us a unique perspective as to how scientific and technical recruiting can be optimized.

On Episode 6 of Talent Therapy, we connect with Katie McGee, Head of Global Talent Attraction & Executive Search at Biogen. We cover Katie's transition into recruiting, employer branding, balancing science with culture and talent strategies for mid-size biotech organizations. Katie comes to us with nearly 15 years of recruiting and TA experience from both the agency and in-house worlds. Her perspective gives us a clear look into the current market and how balanced branding can enhance an organization's talent profile.

On Episode 5 of Talent Therapy, we chat with Tiffanie Veiga, Director of Talent Acquisition at Foundation Medicine.  We cover a variety of topics including entering the recruiting and TA space, effectively working with hiring managers, current market trends, and negotiating with candidates and employees. Tiffanie comes to us with 12+ years of technical/scientific recruiting experience from both the agency and corporate worlds. She gives us a a unique perspective on effective TA practices, and the current marketplace. 

On Episode 4 of Talent Therapy, we chat with Brian Whelan, Sr. Manager of Talent Acquisition at Ring Therapeutics.  We cover a variety of topics including international recruiting, the constant adversity a recruiter faces, and candidate mapping techniques.  Brian comes to us with over 10 years of biotech recruiting/talent acquisition experience from both the agency and corporate worlds. He gives us an accurate insight to the building blocks that make up a modern recruiter.

This week on Talent Therapy, we connect with Becky Schaufus who heads up talent acquisition at ElevateBio a ground breaking cell and gene therapy company. We cover multiple topics including employer branding, authenticity in recruitment, and building out effective talent acquisition teams. Becky comes to us with almost 20 years of experience in both agency and corporate recruiting, and gives us a down to earth and real time perspective on her experiences within the talent landscape.

In our first episode, we speak with Wendy Durkin, 'The Ultimate People Connector'.  We dive into her introduction to recruiting, recruiting vs. talent acquisition, general best practices, as well as some strategies to build out efficient talent functions within life science organizations. Wendy comes to us with over two decades of experience, and provides invaluable insights from both the agency and in-house aspect of recruitment.