Tuesday, December 9
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7:30 am Registration & Breakfast
8:30 am What it Takes to Make a LEAP a Reality
8:40 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
8:50 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?
Strengthening People Manager Impact in High-Pressure Life Sciences Environments
9:20 am 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
9:40 am Develop: How Can Life Sciences Organizations Equip Managers to Lead Effectively While Balancing IC Responsibilities & Performance Demands?
Synopsis
- 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?
9:50 am 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?
10:10 am Innovate Session: How Global Cultures Happen and What They Can Achieve – A Personal Journey
Synopsis
- Lessons from leading around the world
- Why key experiences matter
- The ROI of global cultures
10:20 am Speed Networking Break
Expanding Learning to Drive Innovation, Connection & Career Growth Across Life Sciences
11:00 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
11:20 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
11:40 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?
12:00 pm 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?
12:20 pm Innovate Session: Measuring Training Effectiveness – The Bayer Story
12:30 pm Lunch
1:30 pm Discover: Unifying Leadership Development to Scale Talent Growth, Strengthen Capability, & Drive Consistency Across Global Functions
Synopsis
- Aligning fragmented leadership programs across clinical operations, commercial teams, and regional markets into a single enterprise-wide framework designed to support scientific and operational leadership at every level
- Building six-tiered development pathways, from aspiring leaders to senior executives, into Degreed academies that enable cohort-based learning, peer collaboration, and consistent leadership capability across global life sciences teams
- Launching a ‘Leadership Essentials’ package for all current and new leaders, embedding pre- and post-program assessments to measure skill growth, reinforce core leadership behaviors, and drive performance across clinical and commercial functions
1:50 pm Discover: Opening Access to Leadership Development by Creating Scalable, Inclusive Talent Development Pathways & Enabling Self-Directed Growth at Biogen
Synopsis
- Transitioning from nomination-based to open enrolment for high-potential programs, removing barriers and empowering employees to self-select into leadership development aligned with their readiness and ambition
- Addressing legacy challenges of exclusivity and misalignment by making programs transparent and accessible, shifting perceptions from exclusive to inclusive opportunity, and fostering personal ownership of growth
- Embedding cultural change by designing visible, relevant learning experiences that increased engagement, retention, and peer-driven momentum, resulting in authentic leadership development and stronger organizational impact
2:10 pm Develop: How Can Life Sciences Organizations Build Scalable, Inclusive & Scientifically Grounded Leadership Pathways?
Synopsis
- How can life sciences organizations balance global consistency with functional relevance across clinical, regulatory, and commercial teams, while embedding scientific credibility and operational fluency into leadership development?
- What structural and cultural barriers hinder equitable access to leadership growth, and how can self-directed models be designed to support scientific rigor, regulatory awareness, and cross-functional readiness?
- How can leadership development be embedded into the rhythm of scientific work ensuring scalability, responsiveness to evolving landscapes, and inclusivity without compromising productivity or compliance?
2:30 pm Action: What Practical Steps Can You Take to Build Unified & Inclusive Leadership Development Across Life Sciences Functions?
Synopsis
- Where are the most critical disconnects or access barriers in your current leadership strategy, across functions, geographies, or leadership levels, and what pilot initiatives could help bridge them?
- How can scientific leaders, commercial executives, HR, and DEIB teams co-create scalable, self-directed development pathways that reflect both enterprise priorities and employee aspirations?
- What metrics beyond participation can track leadership impact across clinical trials, product launches, regulatory milestones, internal mobility, and cultural engagement?
2:50 pm Innovate Session: Breaking Down Silos — Building Enterprise Leadership at Kite Pharma
Synopsis
- Discover how Kite Pharma partnered with ProjectNext Leadership to strengthen enterprise leadership and accelerate cross-functional collaboration in a complex, high-stakes environment
- Uncover the research behind “lateral agility,” a capability proven to break down silos and accelerate execution across R&D, manufacturing, and regulatory teams
- Hear how a 4-month cohort journey helped Kite’s senior directors translate enterprise leadership from theory to practice — through real business challenges and peer learning
- Discover how participants not only shifted their leadership mindset but also built lasting, trust-based networks to drive faster, smarter organizational decisions
3:00 pm Networking & Refreshments Break
Embedding Team Development to Strengthen Trust, Accountability & Scientific Collaboration
3:30 pm Innovate Session: Coachability: The Multiplier of Coaching Effectiveness – Rethinking Coaching Impact Through the Science of Being Coachable
Synopsis
The greatest predictor of growth—and the future of leadership development—isn’t your coaches, it’s your people’s coachability. Discover the evidence-based approach that maximizes and protects your coaching investments by focusing on the factor that amplifies every coaching conversation: coachability itself.
3:40 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
4:00 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?
4:10 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?