Tuesday, December 9
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8:00 am Registration & Breakfast
9:00 am What it Takes to Make a LEAP a Reality
9:10 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
9:20 am Fireside Chat: How Can Life Sciences Leaders Rethink Talent Development to Build Future-Ready Capabilities in the Face of Industry Disruption & Uncertainty?
Synopsis
- How can organizations in life sciences create a unified and forward-looking workforce planning approach when regulatory shifts, leadership changes, and scientific priorities are pulling teams in different directions?
- What strategies can senior leaders use to identify and activate the most critical capabilities across their organizations when traditional learning pathways no longer reflect the pace or complexity of industry change?
- How can companies foster a culture of purposeful learning and development when employees are overwhelmed by choice, unclear on strategic priorities, or disconnected from evolving business needs?
10:00 am Speed Networking Break
Expanding Learning to Drive Innovation, Connection & Career Growth Across Life Sciences
10:40 am Discover: Building a Connected Learning Ecosystem That Accelerates Mission Impossible Innovation
Synopsis
- Embedding refreshed values and leadership mindsets to activate learning and knowledge-sharing across early stage venture companies within a complex life sciences ecosystem
- Operationalizing development through fit-for-purpose forums and collaborative exchanges that build intellectual, social, and human capital, enabling teams to share insights and solve novel problems across scientific domains
- Deploying proprietary digital tools, including a custom skills inventory, a registry of scientific explorations, and a network-mapping platform, to reduce duplication, accelerate idea validation, and connect teams to emerging signals and expertise faster
11:00 am Discover: Scaling a Regional Learning Initiative into a Global Talent Development Movement to Foster Career Growth, Cross- Cultural Connection & Organizational Learning
Synopsis
- Launching a multi-year learning initiative that evolved from regional “Learning Days” into a fully virtual Global Learning Week, designed to democratize access to career development, spotlight internal and external thought leadership, and embed learning into the rhythm of work
- Building a globally inclusive experience by overcoming challenges around time zones, language, budget, and technology, offering synchronous and asynchronous sessions, workshops-in-a-box, and curated resources to support diverse learning styles and team autonomy
- Driving sustained engagement and network expansion through targeted activations like career coaching giveaways, virtual networking, and platform based learning nudges, resulting in measurable upticks in learning platform usage, cross-team collaboration, and employee-led development
11:20 am Develop: How Can Life Sciences Organizations Build Learning Ecosystems That Support Innovation, Inclusion & Global Talent Engagement?
Synopsis
- How can learning ecosystems be designed to support both early-stage innovation and enterprise-wide development without fragmenting strategy or resources?
- What are the most effective ways to scale learning across geographies and functions while maintaining relevance for scientific, operational, and commercial teams?
- How can organizations foster a culture of continuous learning and knowledge exchange that reflects diverse learning styles, time zones, and career stages?
- What role do curated content, peer-led forums, and digital infrastructure play in sustaining engagement and enabling cross-functional collaboration?
11:40 am Action: What Practical Steps Can You Take to Scale Learning & Connect Talent Across Your Organization?
Synopsis
- Where in your current learning strategy are silos limiting innovation, engagement, or knowledge-sharing, and how could ecosystem thinking help bridge those gaps?
- What pilot initiatives, such as global learning weeks, network-mapping tools, or cross-functional forums, could you launch to expand access and foster collaboration?
- How can you partner with regional leaders, platform owners, and scientific teams to co-create scalable learning experiences that reflect both local needs and enterprise goals?
- What indicators, such as platform usage, peer-to-peer learning, or internal mobility, can help you measure the success of your learning ecosystem?
12:00 pm Lunch
Strengthening People Manager Impact in High-Pressure Life Sciences Environments
1:00 pm Discover: Activating People Manager Impact Through a Scalable Leadership Ecosystem to Improve Retention, Engagement & Role Clarity
Synopsis
- Launched Vertex’s first enterprise-wide leadership development program for people managers, designed to support performance, growth, and clarity in a high-pressure, high-achieving culture where managers also carry significant individual contributor responsibilities
- Built a three-part manager ecosystem focused on defining role expectations, enabling performance, and supporting career development, with tailored tools and processes to help managers lead effectively across the employee lifecycle
- Measured ROI through employee sentiment and retention data, uncovering key lessons and practical strategies for embedding leadership accountability and sustaining manager impact in a fast-paced, results-driven environment
1:20 pm Develop: How Can Life Sciences Organizations Equip Managers to Lead Effectively While Balancing IC Responsibilities & Performance Demands?
Synopsis
- What are the most effective ways to support people managers who also serve as individual contributors in fast-paced, high-accountability cultures?
- How can organizations define and reinforce manager expectations across the employee lifecycle, from onboarding and performance to career development, without overwhelming teams?
- What tools, frameworks, or support systems help managers build trust, drive engagement, and maintain clarity in environments where scientific rigor and operational speed are non-negotiable?
- How can leadership accountability be embedded into daily workflows and measured through meaningful indicators like retention, sentiment, and team performance?
1:30 pm Action: What Practical Steps Can You Take to Build a Scalable Manager Development Ecosystem That Drives Clarity & Engagement?
Synopsis
- Where are the biggest gaps in your current manager development strategy, role clarity, coaching capability, or performance enablement, and how are they impacting team outcomes?
- What pilot initiatives, such as manager onboarding toolkits, lifecycle-aligned coaching guides, or peer accountability forums, could you launch to strengthen manager impact?
- How can you partner with HR, functional leaders, and executive sponsors to co-own manager development and ensure its embedded into performance expectations and talent planning?
- What metrics, beyond satisfaction scores, can help you track manager effectiveness and its influence on retention, engagement, and organizational trust?
1:50 pm Networking & Refreshments Break
Embedding Team Development to Strengthen Trust, Accountability & Scientific Collaboration
2:30 pm Discover: Embedding Team Effectiveness into Talent Development to Strengthen Collaboration, Culture, & Strategic Alignment
Synopsis
- Delivering team development in-house using the Five Behaviours of a Cohesive Team model built from DISC, enabling HR business partners to lead sessions, embed learning into team routines, and replace costly external vendors with trusted internal facilitators
- Building trust, accountability, and strategic alignment across clinical development, clinical pharmacology, and regulatory teams by integrating recurring onsite workshops, tailored team assessments, and long-term coaching into the rhythm of team operations
- Tracking team health and cohesion over time using IPR reports and behavioural diagnostics, improving retention, surfacing stronger ideas, and helping leaders maintain high-functioning teams even through turnover, restructuring, and leadership transitions
2:50 pm Develop: How Can Life Sciences Organizations Build High-Functioning Teams That Thrive Through Change, Complexity & Cross-Disciplinary Work?
Synopsis
- What are the most effective ways to embed team development into the daily operations of scientific and regulatory teams without disrupting productivity?
- How can internal facilitators, such as HR business partners, be equipped to lead impactful team sessions that build trust, accountability, and alignment across functions?
- What strategies help sustain team cohesion through leadership transitions, restructuring, or high turnover in fast-paced clinical and regulatory environments?
- How can organizations use behavioural diagnostics and team health data to proactively address friction points and strengthen collaboration across scientific domains?
3:10 pm Action: What Practical Steps Can You Take to Embed Team Development into Scientific & Regulatory Operations?
Synopsis
- Where in your organization are team dynamics limiting collaboration, innovation, or retention, and how could structured development help?
- What pilot initiatives, such as recurring workshops, embedded coaching, or team health diagnostics, could you launch to build cohesion and alignment?
- How can you partner with functional leaders and HR to co-own team development and ensure its sustained through operational shifts and leadership changes?
- What indicators, such as engagement scores, idea generation, or cross-functional execution, can help you measure the long-term impact of team effectiveness efforts?