Molecule to Market: Inside the outsourcing space

By Raman SehgalScience Life Sciences

Molecule to Market: Inside the outsourcing space episodes

October 02M2M ENCORE: Founding and Selling Three Bio CDMOs
In this special encore episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Mark Bamforth OBE, serial entrepreneur, investor and mentor to CEOs.
Your host, Raman Sehgal, revisits one of Molecule to Market’s most memorable conversations, bringing together Mark’s original two-part story of building and selling three biotech CDMOs for a combined value of $2.5bn.
Raman and Mark discuss the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain, covering:
Mark’s unconventional journey from North Sea oil and the whisky industry to spending 22 years at Genzyme and ultimately leading a global manufacturing network.
Leaving corporate life to build Gallus Biopharmaceuticals, and the baptism of fire that came with raising money for a self funded CDMO carve out.
The strategy and timing behind Gallus and its eventual sale to Patheon.
Spotting the opportunity in viral vectors early, and building Brammer Bio from start up to its $1.7bn acquisition by Thermo Fisher.
Building Arranta Bio across microbiome, plasmid and mRNA capabilities, before an unsolicited approach led to its sale to Recipharm.
Mark’s ability to spot where the market is heading, sometimes before conventional wisdom catches up.
Leadership lessons from more than two decades at Genzyme and three successful founder to exit journeys.
How he thinks about investing, mentoring CEOs and building businesses in complex, fast moving markets.
Mark Bamforth OBE is a serial entrepreneur, investor and mentor to CEOs. He is currently CEO of disAMR, whose mission is to accelerate scientific, financial and policy solutions to protect modern medicine from antimicrobial resistant infections.
He is also Executive Board Chair of Kincellis, an advanced therapies CDMO, General Partner of the Kineticos AMR Accelerator Fund, and serves on the boards of Enterobiotix, Continuus Pharma and the Saltire Foundation USA.
Previously, Mark founded, built and sold three PE backed biotech CDMOs, Gallus Biopharmaceuticals, Brammer Bio and Arranta Bio, over a 12 year period for a combined value of $2.5bn.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mark spent 22 years at Genzyme in the UK and US, latterly running a global manufacturing operation spanning 12 sites in nine countries and producing more than 20 commercial products.
He began his career as a petroleum engineer exploring for North Sea oil with Britoil, before moving into the whisky industry as a chemical engineer with Whitbread.
Mark holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Strathclyde University and an MBA from Henley Management College. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, OBE, for services to the biotech industry and UK USA business relations.
Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Molecule to Market is sponsored by Bora Pharmaceuticals and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!
1 hr 23 min
September 25M2M SPECIAL: What Pharma Really Wants From Its CDMOs
In this special episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector through the perspective of pharma-side buyers and external manufacturing leaders.
Your host, Raman Sehgal, brings together insights from Daniel Hurni, Felipe Furiati, Frank Binder, and the buyer-side panel from CDMO Live Europe: When Outsourcing Goes Wrong, covering:
What really goes into selecting a CDMO partner, and why price and technical capability are only part of the decision.
Why product lifecycle, supply resilience, geography and risk all influence outsourcing strategy.
What strong pharma-CDMO relationships look like in practice, including trust, transparency, governance and communication.
Why being a genuine strategic partner requires much more than simply using the phrase.
The early warning signs that an outsourcing relationship may be starting to fail, and why sponsors also need to take responsibility.
What makes a CDMO stand out to experienced buyers, from consistency across sites to strong planning, risk management and operational capability.
Why buyers increasingly want to understand the people and processes behind the equipment, not just the facility itself.
This special episode brings together buyer-side perspectives from across Big Pharma, mid-sized pharma and global external manufacturing to provide CDMOs with a clearer view of what their customers really value.
Molecule to Market is sponsored by Bora Pharmaceuticals and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!
30 min
September 18What Pharma really needs From CDMOs today
In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Frank Binder, Independent Consultant (external manufacturing and supply chain management).

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Frank, covering:
Getting hooked on supply chain management during his time at Accenture, before joining Novartis’ biopharma business during the early stages of outsourcing and CDMO management.
Deciding to move to Celgene, and feeling liberated by the hands-on, can-do culture of a fast growth company.
The intrigue of joining a highly respected Japanese pharma company to help drive global supply chain alignment.
Common themes in pharma and CDMO relationships, including better planning, clearer communication and secondary sourcing.
How CDMO selection has evolved over the last 10 to 15 years, what has changed and what remains the same, including the role of regionalisation.
The lens he uses to identify genuine, strategic partners he can trust.

Dr. Frank Binder is a senior supply chain leader with experience across major pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies in Switzerland, the US and Japan. He is now an independent consultant at GSCA | Global Supply Chain Advisors, having previously held senior roles at Santen, Celgene, Novartis, Roche and Accenture. His expertise spans global supply chain transformation, biologics and API production, CDMO management, international logistics, planning, NPI and SOP/IBP. Frank is a recognised pharmaceutical supply chain thought leader, regularly speaking at industry conferences across Europe, the US and Asia. He holds a doctorate in Physical Chemistry from the University of Berne, with further executive education at Cranfield University, Harvard Business School and INSEAD.

Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Molecule to Market is also sponsored by Bora Pharmaceuticals and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!
53 min
September 11The CSO Staying Ahead of the CDMO Curve
In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Stefan Randl, Chief Scientific Officer at Siegfried.

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Stefan, covering:
How his love of science, combined with a desire to get closer to the business, led him to leave Novartis
His move from science into commercial roles, and how geographic relocations created a compound impact on his career
The decision to leave a large pharma environment and join a smaller CDMO with both drug substance and drug product capabilities
The importance of scientific innovation in creating competitive advantage in a busy and fragmented market
Stefan’s role in shaping capability, R&D and technical investments, and why CDMOs must stay ahead of the curve by backing the areas they truly believe in
How the need for accelerated speed to market is being driven by more assets, higher quality assets and increasingly complex products

Molecule to Market is also sponsored by Bora Pharmaceuticals and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!

Stefan Randl (1973) joined Siegfried in January 2025 as Chief Scientific Officer. Prior to joining Siegfried, he spent 16 years at Evonik, where he held various leadership positions in several regions, most recently as Vice President Innovation Management Health Care, based in Frankfurt, Germany, and as Vice President Drug Substance, based in Indiana, US. He also headed Sales & Services for Health Care in Asia, based in Tokyo. He holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the Technische Universität Berlin and is a German citizen.

Connect with him on LinkedIn.
55 min
September 04Leading a State Owned CDMO
In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Erik Haeffler, CEO at APL.

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Erik, covering:
Two decades at AstraZeneca, including being at the forefront of global sourcing and increasingly sophisticated supply chain management in pharma
Managing a highly complex network of more than 100 CDMOs during his time at Meda
Lessons from six years at Recipharm, where he led 4,000 people across 14 manufacturing sites
The unique story behind APL, what attracted him to the CEO role, and how his assumptions about a state owned business were challenged
Implementing a clear strategy for APL’s CDMO business, leading to stronger differentiation and significant growth
The decision to acquire a penicillin facility, and the growth engine now driving APL forward

Erik leads APL, a Swedish pharma manufacturing company of 600 people across 5 sites. Being a state owned enterprise with a public policy assignment, APL is a bit of an odd bird on the pharma market. The state assignment comprises pharmacy compounding for the Swedish market, where APL has approx. 80% market share, and also a formal preparedness mission for supply in times of crisis and war. APL is also a fully commercial CDMO with a wide range of capabilities, focusing on a segment that fits into the company's origin in compounding. Erik has more than 30 years in the pharma industry with senior roles in AstraZeneca, Meda and Recipharm. He is also a Board member at Nanologica.
Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Molecule to Market is also sponsored by Bora Pharmaceuticals, and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!
52 min
August 21CDMO Live Europe: When Outsourcing Goes Wrong 2026
In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with:
Oksana Vodovska, Business Development of Sopharma
Stefan Bouckaert, Quality & Operations Leader, Enabling Business Growth
Nick Wark, Sr. Director / Head of Global External Manufacturing Network, CDMO & Strategic Partnerships, Ferring Pharmaceuticals

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the state of contract manufacturing with his guests live from CDMO Live Europe 2026. The event was hosted by PharmaSource and Molecule to Market.

Molecule to Market is also sponsored by Bora Pharmaceuticals and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!
47 min
August 07From the Army Commander to the CDMO Corner Office
In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Denis Johnson, Chief Executive Officer at Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing.

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Denis, covering:
What his time in the military and the CDMO industry have in common
Why he is passionate about operations, and why operational excellence is the real product CDMOs deliver
His decision to leave a successful leadership role at Catalent and move to the customer side of the industry
Realising his ambition of becoming a CDMO CEO, and why sterile fill finish remains such an attractive area of the market
The case for staying focused in small molecules rather than trying to become a “Swiss Army knife” provider
Why sterile manufacturing continues to be one of the biggest pain points in pharma launches and commercial supply

Denis Johnson brings extensive life sciences leadership and manufacturing experience to his role as CEO, including significant prior sterile fill-finish experience. He has led operations and commercial senior leadership roles in the biologics, pharmaceutical, and combination devices for over 25 years. Before being appointed CEO at Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing, his prior roles include Head of Global Manufacturing and Technical Operations at Biogen as well as leadership roles at Catalent, Boston Scientific and Johnson & Johnson. He started his career in the U.S. Army managing logistics and operations.

Denis earned a B.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin Madison and an MBA from the University of South Carolina.

Molecule to Market is also sponsored by Bora Pharmaceuticals and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!
50 min
July 24From Family Pharma to Global injectables CDMO
In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Kimberlee Steele, Chief Commercial Officer at ROIS and Javier López-Belmonte, Vice Chairman of the Board at ROVI and CEO at ROIS.

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Kimberlee and Javier, covering:
Kimberlee’s 12 golden years at Catalent, and the lessons she learned during a period of significant CDMO growth
The family heritage behind ROVI and its journey to becoming a $4bn market cap global pharmaceutical business
How the pandemic created a quantum leap in the company’s reputation and capabilities in sterile injectables
The ambition behind ROIS and its goal to become one of the world’s leading sterile CDMO specialists
The trend towards self administered medicines, and how this is driving demand for prefilled syringes, cartridges and device assembly
Investing in value added capabilities and significant capacity to ensure reliability of supply for clients

Kimberlee Steele is a seasoned executive with over 25 years CDMO experience, currently serving as Chief Commercial Officer for ROIS. In this role, she is responsible for leading the company’s global commercial strategy, including business development, marketing, and strategic partnerships; supporting ROIS’s growth as a prominent global CDMO specializing in sterile injectables.

Prior to joining ROIS, Steele held several senior leadership roles that reflect her deep industry knowledge and operational experience. She most recently served as Managing Director, North America at SHL Medical, a global autoinjector company. Earlier in her career, she spent more than a decade at Catalent, advancing to Vice President of Strategic Partners and contributing to growth initiatives across biologics, injectables, and advanced drug delivery technologies.

She also previously served board roles with SCbio, American Injectables and Softgel Healthcare Ltd. and volunteered with DCAT Alliance for Industry Women Committee.

Mr. López-Belmonte is an experienced pharmaceutical executive with a strong financial background and more than two decades of leadership at ROVI. He currently serves as CEO of ROIS, ROVI’s CDMO business, and as First Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of ROVI. In these roles, he has played a key part in the company’s long-term growth, including the expansion of its CDMO capabilities in sterile injectables and complex molecule manufacturing.

He began his career in banking, working as an analyst at Argentaria S.A. in the United Kingdom, before moving into the pharmaceutical sector with Medeva Pharma. He joined ROVI in 2000 and assumed financial leadership just one year later. He went on to spearhead ROVI’s successful IPO in 2007, helping strengthen the company’s relationships with analysts, investors and the wider financial community.

Since 2014, he has led the development of ROVI’s CDMO business, supporting the expansion of its operations, manufacturing sites and strategic positioning. He is also the majority shareholder of Norbel Inversiones, S.L., the controlling company of ROVI.

Mr. López-Belmonte Encina holds a degree in Economics and Business Administration from CUNEF in Madrid, with a specialization in finance, and a joint Executive MBA from Brown University and IE Business School. He has also held senior roles within CEIM, the Madrid Region Business Association, and has served on academic bodies linked to the Autonomous University of Madrid.

Molecule to Market is also sponsored by Bora Pharmaceuticals, and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!
56 min
July 10Meet the Supply Chain Wizard
In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Evren Ozkaya is the Founder & CEO of Supply Chain Wizard and SCW.AI.

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Evren, covering:
The job offer that pulled him away from the McKinsey fast track and into the pharma industry
Getting hands on experience at Sandoz, delivering real impact before spotting the opportunity to found his own business
The moment that triggered the shift from consulting to technology, and the rapid build out of a software platform
The decision to spin out the Digital Factory into a standalone company and raise $10m in Series A funding
The importance of simplicity and creating a single source of truth on the factory floor
Why the industry must move towards interconnected, systems thinking rather than isolated point to point solutions
Why strong networks remain a hidden but powerful advantage in the life sciences sector

Evren Ozkaya, Ph.D. is the Founder & CEO of Supply Chain Wizard (a management consulting firm) and SCW.AI (a technology platform company), helping Pharma manufacturers establish and execute cost-effective and scalable digital transformation programs across manufacturing and supply chain domains by leveraging the state-of-the-art technology.

As a former management consultant at McKinsey & Company and a supply chain executive at Sandoz/Novartis, Dr. Ozkaya led various business transformation programs in over 100 companies in industries such as pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial, logistics and private equity.

Evren Ozkaya received his Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology with his award-winning thesis on Demand Management in Global Supply Chains. Dr. Ozkaya currently serves as the Chair of the Advisory Board at the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech, besides his other advisory board roles at Rutgers Business School and Seton Hall University.

Molecule to Market is also sponsored by Bora Pharmaceuticals, and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!
1 hr
July 03Building a Canadian CDMO from grad school
In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Lisa Studnicki Hunt, Ph.D, Co-Founder and Board Member, GL CHEMTEC.

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Lisa, covering:
How her passion for problem solving led her to cofound a CDMO straight out of grad school
How, without an established industry network, she focused on developing her core skill set and immersing herself in a different culture
Figuring things out day by day, while pursuing opportunities aligned with the company’s long term vision
Positioning the business as “innovation experts” to differentiate in a competitive and fragmented CRO and CDMO market
How the pandemic accelerated demand and growth, ultimately leading to a well timed private equity deal
The “misbehaving of the market” over the last few years, and how a Canadian CDMO is positioned amid geopolitical shifts involving the US and China

Lisa co-founded GL CHEMTEC INTERNATIONAL in 2002 and has played a key role in growing the organization across both operations and commercial functions for more than two decades. She also now serves on several boards and is passionate about philanthropy and supporting non-profit organizations.

Lisa began her academic journey with a degree in Natural Sciences from John Abbott College. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science with Honours, with a minor in French, and a Master of Science in Chemistry from the University of Toronto. She later completed her Doctor of Philosophy in Organic Polymer Chemistry at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany.

Lisa has authored several scientific publications and holds multiple patents. Alongside her scientific credentials, Lisa has continued to build her commercial and business expertise. She earned her Professional Sales Designation from the Canadian Professional Sales Association in 2008, completed the E2: Entrepreneur’s Edge course at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2009, attended Harvard Business School in 2015 under the guidance of renowned professor Clayton Christensen, and completed the Marketing Innovation course at MIT Sloan School of Management in 2017.

Molecule to Market is also sponsored by Bora Pharmaceuticals and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!
1 hr

About Molecule to Market: Inside the outsourcing space

From the publisher's feed

Molecule to Market takes you inside the global pharma and biopharma outsourcing ecosystem. Each week, our host Raman Sehgal sits down with the founders, entrepreneurs, CEOs and C-suite leaders shaping the pharma services and tools that power discovery, drug development and commercialization.