In this conversation, Marcelina outlines a practical roadmap for AI transformation within life sciences organizations, emphasizing that real progress begins with leadership alignment and people-centric change management.

She explains that senior leaders must first gain a foundational understanding of AI—ideally becoming super users—to communicate vision, reduce uncertainty, and guide their teams effectively.

People leaders then play a crucial role in translating strategy into day-to-day meaning for employees, influencing priorities, workflows, and professional development.

Marcelina also highlights the importance of governance, data readiness, and collaboration between C-suite leaders and boards, many of whom acknowledge the need for AI upskilling.

She stresses that successful AI adoption requires tailored training, not generic programs, referencing research that shows customized learning dramatically increases the number of super users and hours saved weekly.

Throughout the discussion, she shares insights from her book It Starts With Vision, including interviews with senior leaders across pharma, data science, IT security, and organizational transformation.

She encourages leaders to begin with curiosity, assess their organization’s current maturity, and use surveys and strategic sparring to design transformations that avoid wasted investment and maximize impact.

Key Topics Covered:

00:32:38 Why messaging from senior leadership and people leaders matters most in AI transformation.

00:34:00 Building the AI roadmap: upskilling senior leaders, creating super users, and enabling informed conversations.

00:35:32 The role of boards in guiding AI strategy and the increasing need for board-level AI literacy.

00:36:53 Training leaders, preparing for employee concerns, and aligning grassroots initiatives with strategy.

00:38:32 Why organizations start at different points in their AI journey and how to avoid siloed efforts.

00:40:15 Introduction to Marcelina’s book and why AI must be treated as a human-centered transformation.

00:42:21 Interviews inside the book: data science, pharma innovation, IT security, and change leadership.

00:46:02 Where to buy the book and why it’s a limited-edition release.

00:47:31 Why generic AI guidance fails—and how job-specific training changes adoption outcomes.

00:49:20 How Marcelina uses surveys to diagnose readiness and provide targeted leadership support.

00:51:29 Final call to action: read the book, take the survey, and seek tailored support.

Notable Quotes:

“This is a people-centric transformation—employees deserve to be led well through it.”

“Senior leaders don’t need to be specialists, but they must understand AI well enough to speak its language.”

“Tailored, job-specific training creates super users—generic AI training does not.”

“We need governance that can say yes and no to grassroots AI initiatives with confidence.”

“Once employees understand AI, they become drivers of process optimization instead of blockers.”

CTA:

Download the AI readiness survey to assess your AI maturity.

Follow Marcelina on LinkedIn for weekly insights on AI, leadership, and transformation.

Get the limited-edition book It Starts With Vision before the next print run out. Exclusive treat: Apply TALENT10 at checkout for 10% off!

In this episode of Life Science Talent Talks, host Nehar Mortuza sits down with Rahmad Akbar, Senior Data Scientist in Antibody Design at Novo Nordisk. Rahmad shares his remarkable journey from his roots in Indonesia to his pivotal role at the forefront of machine learning-driven protein engineering. Together, they explore how AI is revolutionising antibody design — from the technical advances and current challenges to the growing role of generative models in creating next-generation therapeutics. Rahmad offers insights into how these technologies are accelerating drug discovery, improving patient outcomes, and shaping the future of healthcare. He also speaks candidly about his transition from academia to industry, the personal motivations that fuel his work, and why collaboration and innovation are more essential than ever in the life sciences. Whether you're passionate about biotech, data science, or career development, this episode is packed with valuable perspectives you won't want to miss.

Timestamp and Show notes:

00:38 Meet Our Special Guest: Rahmad Akbar

02:19 Rahmad's Journey: From Indonesia to Novo Nordisk

03:35 The Role of Coding in Biotechnology

04:45 Antibody Design: Challenges and Innovations

06:48 Generative AI in Drug Design

10:04 Future Trends and Democratizing AI

19:00 Personal Motivations and Career Reflections

24:31 Transitioning from Academia to Industry

29:47 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Ideas for future podcast guests or themes? 💡

We want to co-create this podcast with you. We'd therefore love to hear your suggestions for future podcast guests or themes.

Join Our Life Science Talent Ecosystem

We want to build a community to inspire life science professionals and leaders through talent talks and organised events. Share knowledge across the life science community through personal stories of their journey. We encourage you to take part in shaping this community by sharing your feedback, questions, or ideas. This you can do through our LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠community page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Warm Regards from your podcast hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nehar Mortuza⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Søren Spanner Bach

In this episode, we take you inside the story of Mmimetika, a biotech venture co-founded by researchers Mogens Johannsen and Thomas Poulsen. What began as a bold university lab project has grown into a breakthrough company developing a compound that mimics some of the key health benefits of exercise and fasting.

By combining ketones and lactate in a single, novel molecule, Mmimetika's lactate | ketone non-medicinal supplement provides promising support for metabolic control and longevity.

We dive into their journey from academic discovery to commercial reality — securing patents, scaling production, attracting investors, and building a business team around their scientific vision.

Now on the cusp of regulatory approval, Mmimetika is actively searching for a dynamic CEO to lead the charge into market launch and long-term growth.

Whether you're curious about biotech entrepreneurship, metabolic health innovations, or how groundbreaking research turns into real-world solutions, this is a story you won’t want to miss.

Shownotes and Timestamps

[00:00:00] Company Introduction

[00:01:12] Mimicking Exercise and Fasting

[00:04:08] Current Status and Journey

[00:05:54] Product Superiority and Development

[00:08:13] Competition and IP

[00:10:18] Funding and Investor Relations

[00:11:17] Technical Aspects of the Product

[00:13:00] Clinical Evidence and Scientific Approach

[00:14:22] Non-Medical Claims

[00:15:29] Market Focus and Positioning

[00:17:58] Roadmap and Milestones

[00:21:22] Organizational Structure and Key Risks

[00:23:00] CEO Transition and Future Roles

[00:25:04] Company Culture and CEO Profile

[00:27:26] Soft Skills and Ideal Timing for CEO

[00:29:42] How Listeners Can Support

Ideas for future podcast guests or themes? 💡

We want to co-create this podcast with you. We'd therefore love to hear your suggestions for future podcast guests or themes.

Feel free to share in a private message or leave a comment below 🙏🏼

(It's also ok to invite yourself 😉)

Join Our Life Science Talent Ecosystem

We want to build a community to inspire life science professionals and leaders through talent talks and organized events. Share knowledge across the life science community through personal stories of their journey. We encourage you to take part in shaping this community by sharing your feedback, questions, or ideas. This you can do through our LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠community page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Warm Regards from your podcast hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nehar Mortuza⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Søren Spanner Bach