Biotech Industry Management by Women CEOs?
In academia, almost all of the leadership of universities and colleges comes from former professors. One can argue that it would be better to hire business executives to run universities, but that's the tradition.
In biotech industry, there were some notable cases like this early on, such as Herb Boyer at Genentech, but it seems that the employment of business-trained executives in the management track developed very soon in the evolution of the biotech industry. I know that women are among the leaders in the research infrastructure at a lot of biotech companies. Do they ever jump across to become pure management, to become CEOs?
I'm thinking about women CEOs right now partly because in Califormia, we have two from the IT industry who are running for political office as senator and governor. Carly Fiorina (former CEO of HP) and Meg Whitman (former CEO of e-Bay) have been notably successful in industry in spite of being female, although they had some struggles in their CEO positions that are coming out in the political process. I'm sure men would have had some struggles too. But these two IE CEOs made me wonder about biotech CEOs. Do we have any candidates in the pipeline, and if we do, are they former women scientists?
Cheers,
Laura
So it sounds like company hopping is probably not due to finding bad situations but due to looking for new opportunties and more interesting experience. I like that idea, although hmcbride raises a lot of points that might complicate such moves for women (family, husband!). Nice indeed to have a supportive partner. Mine moved for me twice, sweetheart that he is.
cheers,
Laura
FSP makes a good point for this discussion. Company hopping to gain diverse experience is required to reach past a certain level. That is a general requirement for males and females, although perhaps more of a burden for women with children who have to tag along. It certainly complicates my move as I need to jump before my kids reach high school age. Moving my kids is OK with me as I am taking the grandparents with us regardless of where we go. Negotiating with the husband is another issue. Such big moves may not work for many women on a family level. This brings us back to having supportive partners.
If your company doesn't have any women in science leadership, would you move to another company? Or would you work from within to increase women's opportunities? I opted for the latter. Hope it works, not that I expect to reach CEO!
Tough comment from hmcbride. If the top of the science ladder (I assume CSO means chief scientific officer) is stacked with men, that would make it harder for the women starting in science to make it through that road block to get to CEO without moving sideways (to another company). Maybe that explains the multi-company pattern we see for these CEOs.
Hi Laura,
I'm at a liberal arts college but a lot of my students end up in industry, and I think hearing these success stories is really helpful. I feel much better about advising them to go that route seeing that women have reached the top in this arena.
I really enjoyed reading these short bios. Nice to see women doing well, and evidently most of them are moving up by switching companies...makes you think that there's a chance they are seeking more respect than they're getting, looking to be recognized for what they know they can do.
Hi Helen,
Yes, most of the companies with female CEOs were smaller to medium. But the woman who is UCSF Chancellor was at Genetech in the upper echelons earlier.
Sadly, NTY business section said today that too many smaller businesses headed by women are unstable and at risk. The good news was that 40% of the new businesses started during this recession were started by women, but then they dumped cold water on that nice picture by prophesying doom for a lot of time. So I was happy that all 10 of the women on this list had been at several different companies, leading me to believe that whatever happens, they'll keep on going.
cheers,
Laura
Difficult question to answer. I think you'd have even odds in a start-up to mid level company. But as the company got bigger, the odds would drop as you'd be looking for a more business minded individual (and of course male).
However, I think in those same smaller, nimble companies, you'd still be more likely to find a woman CEO than a woman CSO. The top ranks of science are still stacked firmly with males only.
On a positive note I will say that just because you're not CEO at large company doesn't mean you can't achieve high status as VP and SrVP in various areas of the company. And a PhD is highly valued for the "extra" non subject matter related qualities that come with it.
I love the quote from Daphne you posted, it's very true about industry that its easier to be negative. But then nothing would ever get done! And its the responsibility of those of us in industry to make sure that patients get some hope.
I love this! I really did think you had to have an MBA to run a biotech company. I went to this site, Laura, and read up all these women and I love it! My favorite is Desmond-Hellman, the one who was at Genentech (where I dream of working some day). I really like thinking women can move back and forth between industry and academia and be in charge both places, after starting out in real science. thanks!
Okay, I got a bit of time to research the question of these CEO's prior backgrounds. Desmond-Hellman, now at UCSF but before at Genentech, was a clinical scientist. Dunsire is a medical doctor. Maxine Gowen at Trevena has a PhD in cell biology. Tina Nova of Genoptix has a PhD in biochemistry.
Rachel King's bio is unclear about whether she was in science before, as is Gail Schulze's.
The others came from the business end, but some of them said incredibly inspiring things. Consider this quote from Daphne Zohar:"One thing I've learned is that people who are perpetually negative have developed that strategy as a defense mechanism (if you're always negative you look smart in an industry where odds are stacked against you). I've learned to focus on those people who see possibilities and have open minds and creativity rather than expending too much energy on those whose imagination is limited to potential problems."
cheers,
Laura
Hi High Tech Woman,
I believe if you click on the women on the site at Fiercebiotech.com you can see individual biographies and mini-interviews. I know at least some of them come from bio backgrounds. I think Deborah Dunsire does, and I think there's at least one more bio type and a med type. Maybe more. Sorry, I'm in a rush or I'd look them all up.
cheers,
Laura
Dear Laura,
I wonder how many of these women came out of science backgrounds as opposed to having MBAs or similar training? Do women in science get to these heights? Do we want to, that's a different question I guess.
HTW
Hi friends,
I just went online and found a site called Fiercebiotech.com which listed these ten top women CEOs in Biotech. I'd love to hear about them or others you know of.
cheers,
Laura
Katrine Bosley, Avila Therapeutics;
Susan Desmond-Hellmann, UCSF;
Deborah Dunsire, Millennium Pharmaceuticals;
Carol Gallagher, Calistoga Pharmaceuticals;
Melinda Gates, Bill & MelindaGates Foundation;
Maxine Gowen, Trevena;
Rachel King,Glycomimetics;
Tina Nova, Genoptix;
Gail Schulze, Zosano;
Daphne Zohar, PureTech Ventures
Just wanted to say this was actually posted on Oct 3. The software labels each thing as posted on the date I first draft it, even if I make substantial changes later and post it a lot later. The Scitable IT staff whom I've asked to fix it to show when things are actually posted are "working on it."
cheers,
Laura
