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From Forests to Pharma: Rasmus Jensen on Cultural Intelligence and Career Transformation - Ep. 8
Join Marcus Metcalfe as he sits down with Rasmus Jensen for a captivating conversation about one of the most unconventional career journeys in pharma. Starting with ambitions to become a forest ranger, complete with chainsaw training. Rasmus shares how he transformed his forestry economics background into a successful pharmaceutical career spanning global corporations and dynamic startups.
In this episode, Rasmus reveals crucial lessons on cultural intelligence in international business, the art of clear communication in leadership, and the challenges of transitioning from Big Pharma to startup environments. He candidly discusses his experiences at companies like Novo Nordisk and Johnson & Johnson, before taking the leap into biotech with Camurus, where he started with just "a PC, an office package, and a blank piece of paper."
Listeners will gain valuable insights on navigating cultural differences in global organisations, the importance of gaining commercial experience for career growth, and how to leverage diverse functional expertise in leadership roles. Rasmus also shares a powerful story about learning from failure and using AI tools to enhance cross-cultural communication.
Perfect for pharmaceutical professionals considering career transitions, leaders working in multicultural environments, and anyone interested in building a unique career path in life sciences.
Key Topics Covered
Unconventional career paths in pharma
Cultural intelligence and communication
Transitioning from Big Pharma to startups
Leadership lessons and learning from failure
Building breadth across functional areas
The value of commercial experience
Danish vs international corporate cultures
Using AI for cross-cultural communication
Notable Quotes
"If you want to have a career in Pharma, go close to the business... it gives you a breadth of understanding and more gravity in your arguments."
"You start with a PC, an office package, and a blank piece of paper."
"Some of the failures that one has done in careers... are often the biggest opportunities for learning and development."
Chapters
00:23 - Rasmus's unexpected origin story as a forestry student
06:58 - Career advice on getting close to the business
10:50 - The reality of joining a startup
18:09 - Discussion on clarity in leadership
31:08 - Cultural blindness and learning from failure
42:00 - Advice for broad career development
Connect with Marcus: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-metcalfe-8938a35/ Marcus helps US & European Biotech & Pharmaceutical clients by providing Interim/Fractional & Advisory consultants for operational & strategic needs.
I also work on selective Executive Search (perm) projects.
I have helped Clients when there is no headcount, when they can't find the right permanent candidate, when they have a spike in business, as an alternative to an external vendor or for those simply needing an extra pair of hands.
If you need a partner with an extensive network in HEOR and Market Access - this is his sweet spot.
He has placed over 120 HEOR and Market Access candidates during my time across US and Europe.
With his business partners, he covers the below functional areas.
• Biometrics • Business Development
• Clinical Research • Drug safety & Product safety
• Engineering • Health Economics
• Medical Affairs • Market Access
• Regulatory Affairs • Compliance/Quality Assurance
• Marketing & Medical • Scientific & Preclinical
• Communications
Podcast produced by www.podforge.co.uk
