boltKey Takeaways
- From the lab to the dark side. Elena trained in biochemistry and took a PhD in biomedicine before deciding the bench was not for her. Business development roles in consultancy and at the Spanish biotech industry association led her back to Pamplona, where she helped turn a newly built manufacturing plant into a CDMO with its own business model.
- Mid-sized is a selling point in the US. Elena sees more US biotechs looking again at European partners, and mid-sized companies tiring of large CDMOs where they no longer feel like a priority. With the Biovian combination adding Turku's technologies and a San Diego commercial office already in place, she sees the US as the next stage of growth.
- In CDMO business development, you sell trust. Every CDMO has fermenters, bioreactors and quality systems. What wins work is convincing a customer you will stay with them for years, including being patient with early-stage biotechs while they reach the milestones that unlock their next round of funding.
- Program managers who own the account. Her program managers mostly come from technical roles such as USP or analytical method development, hold PMP certification and carry full commercial responsibility for their customers. Most come through the internal PM Academy, working alongside senior PMs for one to two years before running programs independently.
- Hire for values, then watch closely. CVs and LinkedIn profiles always look impressive, so she gives new hires four to six months to show whether their values and approach to work fit. She keeps her eyes open for misalignment, corrects it early where she can, and decides quickly when she cannot.
- Every ball counts. Elena names Rafael Nadal as the person who has most shaped her thinking, for his consistency and his focus on playing each point well rather than chasing the result. It echoes the best advice she has received: slow down, sleep on big decisions, and enjoy the journey, because it is 90% of the experience.
Written by
Sam McElroy
Director of Metric Bio · Metric BIO
Sam is the Director of Metric Bio and leads the Metric Nottingham Life Sciences team across CDMO, CRO and Clinical Supply, as well as being an expert recruiter in the CDMO space across Commercial, Technical and Operational positions globally.
